Writs and Other Constitutional Remedies

One cannot imagine enforcing a right without the existence of a remedy. This book gives an insight into the opposite facet of a 'right', ie, a remedy, and discusses in detail the jurisdiction of the high court under art 226 of the Constitution of India with various legal aspects—substantive and procedural, connected with it. This book features the subtle aspects of each constitutional remedy. The fine nuances of each fundamental right have been thoroughly and the scope of judicial review in the context of the violation of a fundamental right by an executive action, a quasi-judicial decision and a legislative action have also been explained. In India, the jurisdiction of the high court under article 226 is invoked in myriad situations, asserting infringement of fundamental rights. In what type of cases a person can invoke the jurisdiction under article 226 as a right, and in cases he cannot, is a vexed problem of perennial nature. To resolve this particular problem, the author has attempted to suggest theories, described by him as 'theory of a clear and direct violation of a fundamental right' and 'theory of an indirect and incidental violation of a fundamental right'. The provision of article 227 has been dealt with exhaustively and with utmost clarity. Important issues like public interest litigation, locus standi and limits of judicial activism along with the origin and essential characteristics of the prerogative writs in their traditional and modern forms have been dealt with extensively. The chapter on Letters Patent Appeal will prove to be helpful in understanding the nature of intra-court appeal, including its pre- and post-constitutional importance. The jurisdiction of Supreme Court of India under articles 32, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136, 137 and 142 has been discussed elaborately in the light of important rulings. In short, the book envelops within its scope almost all constitutional remedies with citations of important case laws.

Contents
Preface ................................................................................................. vii
Foreword............................................................................................... xi
Contents ............................................................................................. xiii
Table of Cases ................................................................................................... xix
CHAPTER 1
Article 226: Power of High Courts to Issue Certain Writs ............. 1
(1) NATURE AND SCOPE OF ARTICLE 226 IN GENERAL ...................... 1
(2) ARTICLE 226 AIMS AT ENFORCING THE RULE OF LAW ................. 8
(3) ARTICLE 226 IS A PUBLIC LAW REMEDY .....................................13
(4) ARTICLE 226 CONFERS POWER OF JUDICIAL REVIEW ...................17
(5) EXERCISE OF THE POWER UNDER ARTICLE 226 FOR THE
ENFORCEMENT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT ........................46
(6) EXERCISE OF POWER UNDER ARTICLE 226 FOR
ANY OTHER PURPOSE ............................................................87
(7) MEANING OF THE TERM ‘ANY PERSON OR AUTHORITY’
IN ARTICLE 226 ...................................................................89
(8) RELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE GRANT OR REFUSAL
OF A PETITION UNDER ARTICLE 226 ....................................90
(9) FRAUD ................................................................................... 118
(10) AUTOMATIC VACATION OF THE EX-PARTE AD-INTERIM
RELIEF UNDER ARTICLE 226(3) ......................................... 125
(11) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ..................................................... 129
CHAPTER 2
Article 227: Power of Superintendence Over all Courts
by the High Court ................................................................207
(1) SALIENT FEATURES OF THE JURISDICTION UNDER
ARTICLE 227 ..................................................................... 208
(2) HISTORY OF ARTICLE 227 ..................................................... 211
(3) WHETHER ARTICLE 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION
CONFERS WHOLLY NEW POWERS NOT POSSESSED
BY THE EXISTING HIGH COURTS? ....................................... 215
(4) POWER OF SUPERINTENDENCE OVER THE DECISIONS OF
ALL COURTS AND TRIBUNALS IS A PART OF THE
BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION .......................... 216
(5) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WRIT OF CERTIORARI UNDER
ARTICLE 226 AND SUPERVISORY JURISDICTION
UNDER ARTICLE 227 ......................................................... 217
(6) POWERS OF JUDICIAL INTERFERENCE UNDER ARTICLE 227
ARE NOT GREATER THAN THE POWERS UNDER
ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION ................................ 224
(7) SCOPE OF ARTICLE 227 ......................................................... 225
(8) UNDER ARTICLE 227, A WRIT JURISDICTION CANNOT
BE ASSUMED ...................................................................... 244
(9) THE CURTAILMENT OF JURISDICTION UNDER
SECTION 115 OF CPC DOES NOT AFFECT THE
JURISDICTION UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 .................... 245
(10) ERROR CORRECTABLE IN EXERCISE OF APPELLATE
OR REVISIONAL JURISDICTION, WRIT POWER OR
POWER OF SUPERINTENDENCE NOT TO BE
EXERCISED DURING THE PENDENCY OF LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS ..................................................................... 246
(11) WHERE LAW PROVIDES AN APPEAL ON LIMITED GROUNDS,
THE GROUNDS OF CHALLENGE CANNOT BE
ENLARGED BY FILING A PETITION UNDER
ARTICLE 226/227 ............................................................. 247
(12) WHERE REMEDY OF REVISION UNDER SECTION 115
OF CPC HAS BEEN BARRED, IN SUCH A CASE
A PETITION UNDER ARTICLE 227 AND NOT
UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION WILL LIE ...... 248
(13) FINALITY GIVEN TO A JUDGMENT UNDER A PARTICULAR
ACT, STILL ARTICLE 227 CAN BE INVOKED ........................ 249
(14) HIGH COURT HAS POWER TO MAKE SUCH DIRECTIONS
AS THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
MAY WARRANT .................................................................. 249
(15) JUDGMENT OR ORDER ARISING OUT OF A PETITION
UNDER ARTICLE 227 AND/OR 226 AND LETTERS
PATENT APPEAL (SEE—CHAPTER 5 LETTERS
PATENT APPEAL) ................................................................. 250
(16) HIGH COURT CANNOT SUBSTITUTE ITS VIEW IN THE PLACE
OF THE VIEW OF THE SUBORDINATE COURT
OR TRIBUNAL .................................................................... 250
(17) WHERE ALTERNATIVE REMEDY IS AVAILABLE, SHOULD THE
POWER UNDER ARTICLE 227 BE EXERCISED? ....................... 251
(18) WHERE SECOND REVISION IS BARRED UNDER THE CODE
OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, IT WOULD REQUIRE VERY
EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO WARRANT
INFERENCE UNDER ARTICLE 227 ........................................ 253
(19) MEANING OF THE WORD ‘TRIBUNAL’ UNDER ARTICLES 227
AND 136 .......................................................................... 254
(20) TRIBUNALS AND AUTHORITIES UNDER THE
SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE HIGH COURT CANNOT
IGNORE THE LAW DECLARED BY THE HIGHEST COURT ........ 258
(21) COURT-MARTIAL PROCEEDING IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE
SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE HIGH COURT UNDER
ARTICLE 227, BUT SUBJECT TO JUDICIAL REVIEW
UNDER ARTICLE 226 ......................................................... 259
(22) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ..................................................... 260
(23) OTHER CASES WHERE JURISDICTION UNDER ARTICLE 227
IS EXERCISED OR REFUSED ................................................. 262
CHAPTER 3
Locus Standi and Public Interest Litigation ................................265
(1) LOCUS STANDI ........................................................................ 265
(2) PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION ................................................... 290
CHAPTER 4
Writs ...........................................................................................313
(1) MEANING OF PREROGATIVE WRITS .......................................... 313
(2) ‘PREROGATIVE WRITS’ ARE TO BE DISTINGUISHED
FROM ‘WRITS OF RIGHT’ ALSO KNOWN AS ‘WRITS OF
COURSE’—HISTORY ........................................................... 314
(3) OBSOLETE WRITS ................................................................... 316
(4) CERTIORARI ............................................................................ 317
(5) PROHIBITION .......................................................................... 381
(6) HABEAS CORPUS ..................................................................... 390
(7) MANDAMUS............................................................................ 447
(8) QUO WARRANTO .................................................................... 517
CHAPTER 5
Letters Patent Appeal .................................................................531
(1) MEANING OF LETTERS PATENT ............................................... 532
(2) BRIEF HISTORY OF LETTERS PATENT ........................................ 532
(3) SCOPE OF LETTERS PATENT APPEAL ......................................... 537
(4) MEANING OF THE TERM ‘JUDGMENT’ UNDER CLAUSE 15
OF THE LETTERS PATENT ................................................... 539
(5) A PURE QUESTION OF LAW GOING TO THE ROOT OF
THE CASE AND BASED ON PROVEN FACTS COULD BE
RAISED EVEN BEFORE THE LPA COURT .............................. 543
(6) WHETHER AN APPEAL LIES UNDER CLAUSE 15 OF THE
LETTERS PATENT FROM THE JUDGMENT OF A SINGLE
JUDGE IN A PETITION FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226
AND/OR 227? .................................................................. 544
(7) ANY ORDER PASSED ON THE MERITS OF THE MAIN
PETITION DURING THE PROCEEDINGS FOR CONTEMPT
OF COURT IS APPEALABLE UNDER CLAUSE 15 ...................... 547
(8) NO LPA AGAINST THE INTERIM OR FINAL ORDER
IN ELECTION PETITION ...................................................... 548
(9) LPA SHOULD BE ADMITTED IF IT RAISES QUESTIONS
OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE ..................................................... 550
(10) PROVISIONS OF THE LIMITATION ACT APPLY TO THE
APPEAL UNDER THE LETTERS PATENT .................................. 550
(11) HIGH COURT RULES PRESCRIBING LIMITATION FOR
APPEAL WILL APPLY AND NOT THE PERIOD UNDER
THE LIMITATION ACT ......................................................... 550
(12) ACQUIRING BODY THOUGH NOT A PARTY TO THE
ORIGINAL PROCEEDINGS CAN FILE LETTERS
PATENT APPEAL .................................................................. 551
(13) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ..................................................... 552
(14) LETTERS PATENT APPEAL SHOULD BE ABOLISHED ...................... 554
(15) OTHER IMPORTANT JUDGMENTS ............................................... 555
CHAPTER-6
Jurisdiction of Supreme Court ....................................................559
(1) JURISDICTION OF SUPREME COURT IN GENERAL ........................ 559
(2) SCOPE OF AND JURISDICTION UNDER ARTICLE 323 ................. 560
(3) SPECIAL LEAVE PETITIONS (ARTICLE 136) ................................ 575
(4) ARTICLE 142—SUPREME COURT’S POWERS TO PASS
NECESSARY ORDER TO DO COMPLETE JUSTICE .................... 602
(5) REVIEW POWERS OF THE SUPREME COURT
(ARTICLE 137) .................................................................. 620
(6) ARTICLE 131 DISPUTES BETWEEN ANY STATE AND/OR
STATES AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT .................................. 638
(7) APPEALS BY CERTIFICATE—ARTICLES 132, 133
AND 134(C) .................................................................... 651
(8) PROCEDURE FOR ISSUING A CERTIFICATE UNDER
ARTICLES 132,133 AND 134(C) ....................................... 692
(9) APPEAL AS OF RIGHT IN CERTAIN CRIMINAL MATTERS,
ARTICLE 134(A) AND (B) ................................................. 693
Index .................................................................................................... 697

Asim Pandya joined the legal profession in the year 1989 and began practicing law in the Gujarat High Court. He obtained his LL M degree from Gujarat University, Ahmedabad in the year 1992. After practising litigation of civil and constitutional nature till 1993, he specialised in excise law. In the year 1998, he was appointed as the Additional Central Government Standing Counsel for the High Court of Gujarat to represent the Union of India and other central government departments. He worked as a part-time honorary lecturer for two years in Sir LA Shah Law College. The author also headed ‘The Institute of Excise Law’, which provides certificate courses in excise law, run by the Gujarat Law Society. The author is an active visiting faculty in the Gujarat National Law University and has been a constant contributor of articles on different subjects of law in various law journals. In the year 2003, he wrote an acclaimed work on the Contempt of Courts Act, which won accolades from the legal fraternity. Mr Pandya has also authored Excise Law and Procedure as well as Rights of Arrested Persons, Investigation and Bail.