The Supreme Court of India is a powerful institution at the forefront of public attention in India. It is often engaged in a bitter duel with the government on issues as diverse as the administration of cricket in India to whether liquor shops are allowed on highways. Despite such public prominence, very little attention has been paid to who the judges of the Supreme Court are, how they are appointed, transferred and removed, and what they do after retirement. This book provides an account of these four facets of judicial functioning and analyses the processes in operation today. It argues that each of these four aspects gives rise to significant concerns pertaining to judicial independence, accountability, or both. Its main argument is that both judicial independence and accountability are necessary for 'an effective judiciary', and these two values are not in conflict with each other as is commonly assumed.

Provides an account of appointments, transfers, impeachment, and post-retirement employment of Supreme Court judges in India. Each of these facets leads to the critical questioning of judicial independence and accountability, and the book argues that they are not in conflict with each other and are crucial for an effective judiciary.

Few will deny that the post-emergency higher judiciary in India has earned widespread public acclaim for its innovative and creative jurisprudence notwithstanding the argument advanced by some critics that it has exercised excessive jurisdiction, transgressing at times the executive and legislative domains, contrary to the original 'checks and balances' design of the Constitution. While the issue of judicial restraint in the context of constitutional separation of powers deserves serious attention, the fact of the matter is that juristocracy invariably triumphs when the elected representatives in a democracy cannot be trusted to provide good and lawful governance. From this perspective, the unprecedented judicialisation of politics and the growth of judicial activism in India seems to be an organic response to pressures within the political system itself. The contributors to the volume are well-known scholars, lawyers, and academics. They reflect on the itinerary of higher judiciary and its contributions to constitutional law and public good contextualised for the developmental path of the political system since the commencement of the Republic in 1950. The papers cover a variety of topics -- judicial activism, judiciary and ecology, secularism, parliamentary institutions, central executive, new economy, and judicial reforms -- that focus primarily, though not exclusively, on the ramifications of judicial activism for Indian politics.

Judicial institutions evolved in India in the context of India’s social, economic and political conditions and because of the reception of legal concepts and institutions known to English and Scottish judges, lawyers and administrators. Modern Indian judiciary bears the hallmarks of its genesis and evolution during the British rule but it has progressively gone for beyond the colonial confines after the republican Constitution came into force. The theme of fundamental Rights and the role of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as vigilant custodians of fundamental rights are at the heart of India’s constitutional democracy. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our apex judicature, the higher judiciary and the country’s bar in the evolution of the common law of the Constitution. It constitutes by common consent a remarkable chapter in our national life. H v H The Constitution of India is not the last word in human wisdom, but it was certainly a glorious achievement of national consensus and national commitment. The higher Indian judiciary can be said to have broadly fulfilled its constitutional ethos. There have been aberrations, notably during the Emergency and in some cases, of overstating and unduly enlarging the scope of judicial power. More seriously, there are grave and growing problems of inefficient case management, arrears, delays, corruption and incompetence. Those issues have to be addressed urgently, effectively and comprehensively if the Indian judiciary is to emerge as a fit instrument for Rule of Law for the teeming millions in the largest democracy in the world and if the Indian judiciary is to flourish in the twenty-first century holding its head high as an institution of freedom, liberty and balance, with a commitment to the constitutional goals and aspirations of We the People of India.

The book presents, for the first time, a comprehensive and analytical inside view of the Indian judiciary. Justice Katju traces the evolution of law and proceeds to analyse, with incisive insight, matters of critical importance like the appointment of judges, contempt of court, delays in justice and the challenges facing the Indian judiciary. The author draws upon his extensive tenure as a justice of the High Court and Supreme Court to draw examples and relate fascinating personal experiences. He addresses issues like judicial corruption and propagates novel proposals like lawyers to be brought under the Consumer Protection Act. Some memorable judgements which helped in shaping the Indian judiciary have been made by Justice Katju. The book covers these judgements in detail and also includes anecdotes, which bring out the captivating and complex world of the judiciary. A must read book for not just those in the legal field, but all those wanting a never before insight into the Indian judiciary.

Courts in different national systems vary with respect to how interventionist they are in the arbitral process. In recent decades, as India has entered the ranks of the worldè^--s major trading nations, the role of its judiciary in the matter of arbitration has increasingly been the subject of debate, as a result of a number of controversial decisions given by the courts. Is the role that has been played by the judiciary justified? That is the central issue of this distinctive book, the first to investigate and analyse the efficacy of international commercial arbitration in the Indian legal context.

There can be no dispute that the judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court of India wield tremendous powers. However, power comes with a price which bestows huge responsibility. Building on this narrative, the book advocates that judges must be made accountable not only in respect of their personal conduct and integrity, but also in respect of the judicial verdicts they deliver. This book, thus, critically discusses Articles 141, 142, and 144, which make the Supreme Court the most powerful institution in the country, and Articles 32 and 136, which also confer wide powers on it. Using these powers, the apex court sometimes, unmindful of the budgetary and other vital implications, tends to pass orders which lack the scope for implementation. The book suggests measures to improve the functioning of Indian judicial system and save the institutions of justice from turning autocratic and narcissistic.

An incisive and comprehensive view of India’s legal process and its key issues India has the second-largest legal profession in the world, but the systemic delays and chronic impediments of its judicial system inspire little confidence in the common person. In India’s Legal System, renowned constitutional expert and senior Supreme Court lawyer Fali S. Nariman explores the possible reasons. While realistically appraising the criminal justice system and the performance of legal practitioners, he elaborates on the different aspects of contemporary practice, such as public interest litigation, judicial review and activism. In lucid, accessible language, Nariman discusses key social issues such as inequality and affirmative action, providing real cases as illustrations of the on-ground situation. This frank and thought-provoking book offers valuable insights into India’s judicial system and maps a possible road ahead to make justice available to all.

The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment, on the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, has been the subject of a deeply polarized debate in the public sphere and academia. This volume analyses the NJAC judgment, and provides a rich context to it, in terms of philosophical, comparative, and constitutional issues that underpin it. The work traces the history of judicial appointments in India; examines the constitutional principles behind selecting judges and their application in the NJAC judgment; and comparatively looks at the judicial appointments process in six select countries—United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—enquiring into what makes a good judge and an effective appointments process. With wide-ranging essays by leading lawyers, political scientists, and academics from India and abroad, the volume is a deep dive into the constitutional concepts of judicial independence and separation of powers as discussed in the NJAC judgment.

This book traces the development of judiciary in india from ancient times to the present day and examines the different courts, commissions and tribunals in detail.A handy reference tool for the klayman interested in the judicial system and processes of the law.