{"id":76110,"date":"2026-04-16T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=76110"},"modified":"2026-04-20T18:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T12:48:37","slug":"judicial-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/judicial-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Judicial Review, Definition, Evolution, Types, Constitutional Provisions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review is a process that courts use to review the laws made by the government to check whether they are made based on the basic structure of the Constitution. If any law is found to be inconsistent with the Constitution, the courts can cancel it or modify it, or ask the government to make better laws. This system of judicial review safeguards citizens&#8217; rights, upholds the rule of law in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review Evolution<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The concept of Judicial Review evolved gradually through constitutional debates and landmark judgments. It originated from the U.S. case Marbury v. Madison (1803), which heavily influenced Indian constitutional framers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, the Supreme Court expanded Judicial Review through cases such as Shankari Prasad (1951), Golaknath (1967), and the historic Kesavananda Bharati (1973) judgment.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1950s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Courts upheld Parliament\u2019s power to amend <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/fundamental-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Fundamental Rights<\/strong><\/a> (Shankari Prasad, 1951).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1960s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> SC restricted this power, stating Parliament cannot amend Fundamental Rights (Golaknath, 1967).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1970s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Judicial Review became part of the Basic Structure (Kesavananda Bharati, 1973).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1980s-1990s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Review strengthened in areas like judicial appointments, environment, elections, and rights expansion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>2000s-2020s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Courts expanded review over ordinances, privacy, Aadhaar, electoral bonds, and constitutional amendments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Types of Judicial Review<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review in India operates at multiple levels. Each type helps check different types of governmental actions. Courts use these powers to strike down unconstitutional, arbitrary, or ultra vires decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Constitutional Judicial Review: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts examine whether legislative acts, executive orders, and administrative decisions are consistent with the Constitution. If any action violates constitutional provisions, courts can strike it down.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Statutory Judicial Review: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts interpret and assess the validity of statutes, rules, and regulations. This ensures that laws are applied correctly and remain consistent with other legal provisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Administrative Judicial Review: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts review decisions and actions taken by administrative or regulatory agencies. The review checks if agencies followed the law, maintained fairness, and stayed within their authority.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Procedural Judicial Review: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It focuses on whether proper legal procedures and due process were followed while making decisions. It ensures fairness, transparency, and adherence to established rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Substantive Judicial Review: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts examine the content, fairness, and reasonableness of laws or decisions. It goes beyond procedure and evaluates whether the decision is just and lawful in substance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review Constitutional Provisions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review in India is supported by various constitutional provisions that empower the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/supreme-court-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Supreme Court<\/strong><\/a> and High Courts to examine the constitutionality of laws, executive actions, and state-centred disputes.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 92.7852%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 92.1844%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><b>Judicial Review Constitutional Provisions<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%; text-align: center;\"><b>Article<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%; text-align: center;\"><b>Provision \/ Role in Judicial Review<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 13<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Declares that all laws inconsistent with Fundamental Rights are null and void.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 32<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guarantees the right to move the Supreme Court for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights and empowers SC to issue writs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 131<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in Centre-State and inter-state disputes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 132<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in constitutional cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 133<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in civil cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 134<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in criminal cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 134A<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deals with the certificate for appeal to the Supreme Court from High Courts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 135<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empowers the Supreme Court to exercise powers of the Federal Court under any constitutional law.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 136<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authorizes the Supreme Court to grant special leave to appeal from any court or tribunal (except military courts).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 143<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authorizes the President to seek the Supreme Court\u2019s opinion on any question of law or fact, including pre-constitution matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 226<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empowers High Courts to issue directions, orders, or writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights or other legal purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 227<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vests High Courts with power of superintendence over all courts and tribunals within their jurisdiction (except military courts).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 245<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deals with the territorial extent of laws made by Parliament and State Legislatures.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 246<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defines subjects of laws made by Parliament and State Legislatures (Union List, State List, Concurrent List).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Articles 251 &amp; 254<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide that in case of conflict between central and state laws, central law prevails; state law becomes void.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 12.8257%;\">\n<p><b>Article 372<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 79.3587%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deals with continuance in force of pre-constitution laws.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review and Basic Structure Doctrine<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review in India is closely linked with the Basic Structure Doctrine, which ensures that certain fundamental features of the Constitution cannot be altered by Parliament, even through constitutional amendments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Features of the Basic Structure Doctrine<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduced by the <\/span><b>Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parliament can amend the Constitution, but cannot alter its \u201cbasic structure\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protects fundamental elements like:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supremacy of the Constitution<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rule of Law<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Separation of Powers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fundamental Rights<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/federalism-in-indian-polity\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Federalism<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Democracy and Free Elections<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acts as a check on arbitrary amendments by Parliament.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review in the Ninth Schedule<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ninth-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution<\/strong><\/a> was added by the First Amendment (1951) to protect certain laws, primarily land reform and agrarian legislation, from judicial review.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Purpose:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To ensure smooth implementation of socio-economic reforms, especially land redistribution, without being struck down by courts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Scope of Judicial Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Originally, laws in the Ninth Schedule could not be challenged under Articles 14, 19, or 31 (Fundamental Rights).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Intervention:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that even laws in the Ninth Schedule are subject to judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Criteria for Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Laws added after April 24, 1973 (Kesavananda Bharati case) are subject to judicial review and can be declared unconstitutional if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review vs Judicial Activism<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review is the power of courts to examine laws and government actions for constitutionality, while Judicial Activism involves proactive intervention by courts to protect rights, fill legal gaps, or address social issues. Here are the key differences between Judicial Review and Judicial Activism.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 95.0907%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"text-align: center; width: 94.2338%;\" colspan=\"3\"><b>Judicial Review vs Judicial Activism<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 8.55472%;\"><b>Aspect<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 37.1804%;\"><b>Judicial Review<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 48.4987%;\"><b>Judicial Activism<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 8.55472%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.1804%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reactive power to check constitutionality<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.4987%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proactive judicial intervention<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 8.55472%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scope<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.1804%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limited to legality and constitutionality<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.4987%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broader, can address policy, rights, and welfare<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 8.55472%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiation<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.1804%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually on petition by affected party<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.4987%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can be suo motu or public interest litigation<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 8.55472%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Objective<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.1804%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure laws and actions follow the Constitution<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.4987%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protect rights, fill gaps, promote justice<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 8.55472%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Example<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.1804%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) &#8211; Supreme Court struck down constitutional amendments that violated the Basic Structure.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.4987%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) &#8211; Supreme Court laid down guidelines to prevent sexual harassment at workplace through proactive intervention (PIL)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review in India vs USA<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review exists in both India and the USA, but its scope, origin, and application differ. In the USA, it originated through judicial precedent (Marbury v. Madison, 1803).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, it is constitutionally embedded through Articles 13, 32, 226, and 368, and covers not only laws and executive actions but also constitutional amendments.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 95.5907%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"text-align: center; width: 94.7658%;\" colspan=\"3\"><b>Judicial Review in India vs USA<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 23.3467%;\"><b>Feature<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 34.97%;\"><b>India<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 36.4491%;\"><b>USA<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3467%;\">\n<p><b>Scope<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34.97%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Narrower<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 36.4491%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broader<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3467%;\">\n<p><b>Basis<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34.97%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Procedure established by law&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 36.4491%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Due process of law&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3467%;\">\n<p><b>Grounds for Review<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34.97%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Primarily substantive (e.g., unconstitutional)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 36.4491%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both substantive (e.g., illegal) and procedural (e.g., unreasonable)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3467%;\">\n<p><b>Judicial Activism<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34.97%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judiciary has used activism to broaden scope, sometimes adopting &#8220;due process&#8221; concept<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 36.4491%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Due process&#8221; clause gives broad power to review laws for reasonableness and fairness<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3467%;\">\n<p><b>Judicial Review of Constitutional Amendments<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34.97%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court and High Courts can review amendments on procedural and substantive grounds<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 36.4491%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts generally refrain from reviewing constitutional amendments on either ground<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Judicial Review Importance<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review is important because it protects the Constitution and Fundamental Rights, ensures that laws and government actions follow the Constitution, and prevents misuse of power.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Protection of Fundamental Rights:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ensures that citizens\u2019 rights are not violated by laws, executive actions, or policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Supremacy of the Constitution:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Keeps all laws and government actions in line with constitutional provisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Check on Arbitrary Power:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prevents the legislature or executive from acting beyond their authority.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ensures Justice and Fairness:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Makes sure decisions are reasonable, fair, and follow the rule of law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Maintains Federal Balance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Resolves conflicts between Centre and State laws, ensuring harmony in a federal system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Promotes Accountability and Transparency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Holds government and public authorities responsible for their actions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safeguards Democracy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Acts as a guardian of democratic principles and prevents authoritarian misuse of power.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Contemporary Issues Related to Judicial Review<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review protects the Constitution and Fundamental Rights, but modern challenges affect its effectiveness in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Legitimacy vs Majority Rule:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unelected judges striking down laws can seem to undermine elected representatives. Judicial review ensures protection of Fundamental and minority rights against \u201ctyranny of the majority.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Activism vs Overreach: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts act proactively to protect rights or fill gaps, but excessive intervention can be seen as overreach.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intervention occurs mainly when the legislature or executive fail in their duties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Separation of Powers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review maintains checks and balances, but repeated or broad interventions can create conflicts with other government branches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Policy and Economic Decisions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Courts review complex matters like infrastructure projects or economic reforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Appointments and Accountability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s collegium system ensures judicial independence but raises concerns about limited accountability and transparency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Backlog and Access to Justice: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 5 crore cases pending in India; 88,000+ in SC, 63 lakh in High Courts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial Review is a key part of India\u2019s democracy that makes sure all laws and government actions follow the Constitution. It protects citizens\u2019 Fundamental Rights, preserves the core principles of the Constitution, and keeps a balance between the legislature, executive, and judiciary. Despite challenges like case backlogs and judicial overreach, Judicial Review is essential for ensuring justice, democracy, and the rule of law in India.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judicial Review explained with its evolution, types, key constitutional articles, and basic structure link, highlighting its role in protecting rights, justice, and democracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":76124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[4001],"class_list":{"0":"post-76110","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-judicial-review","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76110"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99395,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76110\/revisions\/99395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}