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Comparing Constitutionally: Modes of Comparison Read chapter Read first chapter

2023 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Imperatives of the Basic Structure Doctrine: A Semi-centennial Concept

Authors : Arvind P. Bhanu, Ambika Dilwali, Adityaraj Patodia

Published in: Comparative Approaches in Law and Policy

Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore

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Abstract

The Basic Structure doctrine is the most relevant mechanism in the hands of the Indian Judiciary to strike a balance of powers and maintain checks and balances among the organs of the State, which is imperative for the smooth functioning of any democracy. The doctrine was a milestone in the development of constitutional law in India. This paper aims to trace its origins, efforts to preserve and promote the concept at its nascent stages and highlight its ever-evolving dynamism. The text also tries to outline the continuous war between the Parliament and the Judiciary, resulting in various Constitutional Amendments and their subsequent review before the Courts of law. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of the basic structure and its relevance in the recent times. Additionally, the authors delve into the struggle of supremacy between the powers and functions of the Parliament and the Supreme Court and the role of the system of checks and balances.

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previous chapter Comparing Constitutionally: Modes of Comparison
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Footnotes
1
Balkin [1].
 
2
Strauss [2].
 
3
Tamanaha [3].
 
4
Cooley [4].
 
5
District Bar Association v. Federation of Pakistan, (2015) PLD SC 401 (Pakistan).
 
6
De Chueiri [5].
 
7
Indian Const. art. 368.
 
8
German Const. art. 79, cl. 3.
 
9
Italian Const. art. 139.
 
10
Roznai [6].
 
11
Noorani [7].
 
12
Baxi [8].
 
13
Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1965 SC 845.
 
14
AIR 1965 SC 845.
 
15
In re, Berubari Union (I), AIR 1960 SC 845.
 
16
State of West Bengal v. Union of India, AIR 1963 SC 1241.
 
17
Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, AIR 1973 SC 1461.
 
18
Anwar Hossain Chohwdhury v. Bangladesh, 41 DLR 1989 App Div 16 (Bangladesh).
 
19
Darwesh Anbey v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 1980 Lah 206 (Pakistan).
 
20
Suleman v. President, Special Military Cant., NLR 1980 Cir. Quota 873 (Pakistan).
 
21
Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain, AIR 1975 SC 2299.
 
22
(2008) 6 SCC 1.
 
23
Ibid.
 
24
Jain et al. [9].
 
25
AIR 1951 SC 458.
 
26
Indian Const. art. 368.
 
27
The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951.
 
28
Indian Const. art. 13.
 
29
Indian Const. arts. 31A and 31B.
 
30
Nariman [10].
 
31
AIR 1965 SC 845.
 
32
The Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act, 1964.
 
33
The Mysore Land Reforms Act, 1961 (Mysore Act X of 1962).
 
34
AIR 1951 SC 458.
 
35
India Const. art. 368.
 
36
Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1965 SC 845 (Mudholkar, J. Dissenting).
 
37
Fazlul Quader Chowdhry v. Mohd. Abdul Haque, 1963 PLD 486 (Pakistan).
 
38
Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1965 SC 845 (Hidayatullah, J. Dissenting).
 
39
Shankari Prasad Singh Deo v. UOI, AIR 1951 SC 458.
 
40
Japanese Const. arts. 11.
 
41
American Federal Const. arts. 13 & 5.
 
42
AIR 1967 SC 1643.
 
43
The Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act, 1964.
 
44
India Const. art. 13(2).
 
45
India Const. art. 31.
 
46
Shankari Prasad Singh Deo v. UOI, AIR 1951 SC 458; Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1965 SC 845.
 
47
Ibid.
 
48
The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951.
 
49
The Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act, 1964.
 
50
AIR 1973 SC 1461.
 
51
The Constitution (Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Act, 1971.
 
52
The Constitution (Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Act, 1971.
 
53
India Const. art. 31.
 
54
India Const. art. 19(1)(f).
 
55
The Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Act, 1971.
 
56
The Constitution (Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Act, 1972.
 
57
Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, (1973) 4 SCC 225.
 
58
S. P. Sampath Kumar v. Union of India, AIR 1987 SC 386.
 
59
Shourie [11]. See, Sudhir Krishnaswamy ‘Democracy and Constitutionalism in India: A Study of the Basic Structure Doctrine, Oxford Press, p. xvi.
 
60
Constituent Assembly Debate, Vol VII, 8th November 1948, pp. 322–323. See Pylee, M. V., Constitutional Government in India 761 (2nd Ed. 1965).
 
61
His Holiness Kesavanada Bharati Sripadagalavaru v. State of Kerala and Another, 1973 (4) SCC 1461.
 
62
See, Anuranjan Sethi, Basic Structure Doctrine: Some Reflections, http://​ssrn.​com/​abstract=​835165, pp. 6–8, 26, 27.
 
63
Supra Note 3.
 
64
Indira Gandhi v. Rajnarain AIR 1975 SC, 2299 (1975) 3 SCC 34, Kihoto Hollohon AIR, 1993, SC 412.
 
65
Bhagwati J., Union of India v. Sankal Chand, Himmatlal Sheth, AIR 1977 SC 2328, Kumar Padma Prasad v. Union of India (1993) 4 SCC 441; AIR 1994 SC 268.
 
66
S. R. Bommai v. Union of India, AIR 1994 SC 1918; Poudyal v. Union of India (1994) Supp.1 SCC 324.
 
67
Seervai, H. M., Constitutional Law of India, Ed. 2001, pp. 3161–3162.
 
68
AIR 1975 SC 2299.
 
69
AIR 1980 SC 1789.
 
70
Ibid. See, Waman Rao v. Union of India, AIR 1981 SC 271.
 
71
See West Bengal v. Subodh Gopal Bose, 1954 SCR 587; West Bengal v. Bela Banerjee, AIR 1954 SC 170; K. K. Kochuni v. Kerala, (1960) 3 SCR 887, P. Vajravelu Mudaliar v. Special Deputy-Collector, AIR 1965 SC 1017; R. C. Cooper v. Union of India, AIR 1970 SC 564.
 
72
See Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, (1978) 1 SCC 248.
 
73
See T. R. Andhyarujina, The Kesavananda Bharati Case: The Untold Story of Struggle For Supremacy By Supreme Court and Parliament, Ed 2019, P. 114–118.
 
74
Baxi [12].
 
75
M. P. Jain ‘Indian Constitution Law’, Fifth Edition, 2003 p. 1926.
 
76
(2014) 8 SCC 1.
 
77
(2012) 6 SCC 102.
 
78
See Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India & Ors. (2008) 6 SCC 1.
 
79
Mohini Jain (Miss) v. State of Karnataka & Ors., (1992) 3 SCC 666.
 
80
(2006) 8 SCC 212.
 
Literature
1.
Jack M. Balkin, “Framework Originalism and the Living Constitution” 103 Northwstn. Univ. Law Rev. 550 (2009).
2.
David A. Strauss, “Do we have a Living Constitution”59 Drake L. Rev. 973 (2011).
3.
Brian Z. Tamanaha, “On the Rule of Law, History, Politics, Theory” 32 Journal of Law and Society 657 (2005).
4.
Thomas M. Cooley,  The General Principles of Constitutional Law in the USA 46–47 (Little, Brown and Co., 3rd ed. 1891).
5.
Vera Karam de Chueiri, Is there such thing as a Radical Constitution ?, Democratizing Constitutional Law, 236 (Thomas Bustamante & Bernardo Goncalves Fernandes eds., Springer 2016). See also, P.T. Babie & A.P Bhanu, The Form and Formation of Constitutionalism in India. Laws, 11(2), 33 (2022). https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​laws11020033
6.
Yaniv Roznai, Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments: The Limits of Amendment Powers 56 (Oxford University Press 2017).
7.
A.G. Noorani, “Behind the Basic Structure Doctrine- On India’s debt to a German Jurist, Professor Dietrich Conrad” 18 (9) Frontline (April 28- May 11, 2001).
8.
Upendra Baxi, “Some Reflections on the Nature of Constituent Power” in Rajeev Dhavan and Alice Jacob (eds.), Indian Constitution Trends and Issues 122 (1978a).
9.
Sanjay S. Jain Et Al.,  The Basic Structure Doctrine - A 37-Year Journey, In Basic Structure Constitutionalism: Revisiting Kesavananda Bharati 370 (1st ed. 2011).
10.
F.S. Nariman, The Judiciary and the Role of the Pathfinders, (1987) 3 SCC J-1.
11.
A. Shourie, Courts and their judgments; Promises, Prerequisites, Consequences, New Delhi: Rupa &Co., 2011, p. 440
12.
Upendra Baxi “ Some Reflections on the Nature of Constituent Power” in Trends and Issues, p. 142 (Indian Law Institute, 1978b).
Metadata
Title
Imperatives of the Basic Structure Doctrine: A Semi-centennial Concept
Authors
Arvind P. Bhanu
Ambika Dilwali
Adityaraj Patodia
Copyright Year
2023
Publisher
Springer Nature Singapore
Book
Comparative Approaches in Law and Policy

Print ISBN: 978-981-9944-59-0

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-9944-60-6

Copyright Year: 2023

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4460-6_2