""' ml11cu, , \'

1'JI
•, ( ,m,r1111111mal/( ,, ii c,, ,.,
h 1111 ( ,1m111,11 f ,-n, ., .... .. . 1 .. ...... .................................................. .. 219
I r, h11JTliII• UllllCI
I• A, tic /, I •f(, ...... ..............
.................................. .. ............................... 2-HJ
: JI (I IT tllllfl • . .... ..... •................................... 2,n
1 O(I \ (ft rtltlll\'t'
1t1f1111 Ut 1111 ·,J, ,, , .................... ................... • .. ............ .. 2M
·············· . ···················•···•··
( ,,, 1rul1 f,,, J\J /1t o I ............... . . •................................... ...................
····•·•••······•···•·
25 1
"J,,n.., f
""''" ·111,riu•:
, 1 1, ,1111rlN1'
1
..................... •. . . ................................... .
1\rti, /1 • 1·12( / J• ................................................. ···········
252
255
I I •• .,., •• ,.., •• ., ... , •• ., •• ,. •• ., • ., .. , •••• .,.,
t 266
J,,,
J 1 'tf'f" • . ... ......................... . . . · .............. .
274
l I; ' ,r, 1no; ' ".·;-""""" ,, .. ".". '". '''.:..:::::::::: ::::: :::•,., .. '..:: ::::: :::::: ,, ,, '".: :: :: :: ::: ::: 274
,,/\ / TT>I fl\ .................................................................
I \If ........................... 279
I~ H'' Tri1n,f1 , ,,f ''"''
111 .. ·•.. ... . . . . ................................... 279
l fl I / tYlrml ( flmf ·., J11mrlirrio11 hH•r~i:~~i~i~:·;;-;,-;;··:··s;·············································
11 28 1
(< j'oi1,, ,,, S,01111,rm Wi111cu,,, ........................... _'. upreme Court ..................... . 28 1
tdJ1 J;.,1if,,r,, irw11t of Orcrt'l'.\ ............ ........................... ·········································· 281
r, \f/ ,\utlt,mru•, Jlmmd by Cnurr Order'i ········--··--··························· 28 1
(01 o-.11r1 ·, ru/r-makin~ Power .................· .········:::::·············· .................................. .. 282
,~, Ollie ,-n mu/ 5<'1., ·t:nrs of rhe Supreme Court ..... ::::::::::::::::··--·················--··········· 283
th} /J,-111-/u·, of [Link].................................. ···················--········--··· 284
r,) .-\dditional Ju~-i~dicfion ............................... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·····················--······· 284
J f)i,rrrint of Srare Dec1s1s.................................................. ··················--·········· 286
J\: /r.drpe11dr11ce ofthe Supreme Court ................................ ::::::::::::::::::::..... . .························
· ········--······· 292

A. INTRODUCTORY
In :in~ country, the Judici~ry plays the impo~~nt role of interpreting and applying the Jaw and
'r;i;iic r g upon c.on1ro~ers1es between ~ne ~1t1zen and another and between a citizen and the
c It3 j,1111hc tunc1ion ~1 the cou1ts to marntarn r~le of law in the country and to assure that the
,anmcnt rum, according to law. In a country with a written constitution courts have the addi-
iUI runi.:lion of s~fcguarding ti~~ sup~en:iacy of the .constitution by interp~eting and applying its
p-;tni~1un, and keeping all authonties within the constitutional framework. __
In :i federation. the Judiciary has another meaningful assignment, namely, to decide controver-
es berwccn the constituent States inter se, as well as between the Centre and the States. A Federal
Guwmment is :i legalistic government, 1 a characteristic feature of which is the allocation of powers
[Link] the Centre and the States. Disputes usually arise between the Centre and the constituent
.nit- relating to distribution of powers and functions between them. An arbiter is, therefore, re-
quuetl to ~crutinize laws to see whether they fall within the allotted legislative domain of the enact-
g legi~lature and this function is usually left to the Judiciary.
In India. in addition to the above, the judiciary also has the significant function of protecting and
c:forcmg the Fundamental Rights of the people guaranteed to them by ~e Constitution. JUSTICE
l ,TI\AUA has compared the Judiciary to "a watching tower above all the big structures of the other
l?!lh\ of the ~late" from which it keeps a watch like a sentinel on the funct10ns of t~e ~ther hmbs of
6c state ~ to whether they are working in accordance with the law and the Const1tut1on, the Con-
2 3
llUllon bdng supreme''.
Ind~ ha\ a unified Judicial system with the Supreme Court standi_ng at the apex. There are
t;oon,
below the Supreme Court, under each High_Court [Link] a s_ystem of subordinate
reme Court thus enjoys the topmos t pos1t10n m th~ Judicial h1erarc~y of the coun-
interpreter of the Constitution' and the guardian of the people s Fundamental
e court of appeal in all civil a nd cnmmal matters and the final interpreter of
us helps in maintaining a untform1ty of law throughout the country.

titution, Ch. III, 175 ( J956). Also, M .P. JAIN, Role of Judiciary in a De-
~1:,:11timar/a/ Sherh, AIR 1977 SC 2328 : (1977) 4 SCC l 93; see, infra,

t does not exercise administrative control over the High Courts.