Landmark Judgments Every Lawyer Should Know
100 Landmark Judgments in India
1. Constitutional Law
Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) – Basic Structure Doctrine.
Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Free & fair elections part of basic structure.
Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) – Balance between Fundamental Rights & DPSPs.
Waman Rao v. Union of India (1981) – Judicial review of 9th Schedule post-Kesavananda.
I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) – 9th Schedule laws subject to basic structure.
S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) – Limits on President’s Rule (Art. 356).
Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006) – Open ballot system for Rajya Sabha valid.
State of West Bengal v. Union of India (1962) – States not sovereign, Parliament supreme.
R.C. Cooper v. Union of India (1970) – Fundamental rights must be read broadly.
Berubari Union Case (1960) – Presidential reference on ceding territory.
2. Fundamental Rights
A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950) – Preventive detention law upheld (narrow view).
State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951) – First amendment after reservation issue.
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) – Due process; expanded scope of Art. 21.
Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corp (1985) – Right to livelihood under Art. 21.
Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1993) – Right to education as fundamental.
Mohini Jain v. State of Karnataka (1992) – Education fundamental to life.
Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) – Sec 66A IT Act struck down.
Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) – Right to privacy fundamental.
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018) – Sec 377 IPC partially struck down.
Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018) – Sec 497 IPC (adultery) unconstitutional.
3. Emergency & Judicial Review
ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla (1976) – Habeas corpus suspended in Emergency.
Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Election dispute & Emergency.
A.D.M. Jabalpur dissent of Justice HR Khanna – Liberty above the Constitution (later upheld).
K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) – Overruled ADM Jabalpur.
L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) – Judicial review part of basic structure.
4. Reservation & Social Justice
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) – Mandal Commission; 27% OBC reservation; creamy layer.
M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006) – Reservation in promotion needs proof.
Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018) – Modified Nagaraj; no quantifiable data required.
Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (2008) – OBC reservation in higher education valid.
State of Kerala v. N.M. Thomas (1976) – Reservation in promotion justified.
5. Criminal Law
Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980) – “Rarest of rare” doctrine for death penalty.
Machhi Singh v. State of Punjab (1983) – Expanded “rarest of rare” doctrine.
D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1997) – Guidelines on arrest & custody.
State of Maharashtra v. Praful Desai (2003) – Evidence via video conferencing valid.
Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab (1994) – TADA constitutional with safeguards.
Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts (2014) – Death sentence commuted for delay.
State of Punjab v. Baldev Singh (1999) – NDPS Act, rights of accused.
Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration (1978) – Prisoners’ rights under Art. 21.
Maneka Gandhi principle applied in criminal trials – Fair trial part of life & liberty.
Selvi v. State of Karnataka (2010) – Narco-analysis & polygraph tests violate Art. 20(3).
6. Civil & Property Law
Ayodhya Title Dispute (2019) – Balanced title suit; Ram Mandir allowed.
State of Bihar v. Kameshwar Singh (1952) – Land reforms & compensation.
Bishan Das v. State of Punjab (1962) – Religious property protection.
K.T. Plantation v. State of Karnataka (2011) – Compensation not mandatory in all takings.
Kameshwar Prasad v. State of Bihar (1962) – Right to property restricted post-abolition.
7. Family Law
Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985) – Maintenance for Muslim women under Sec 125 CrPC.
Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001) – Muslim Women Act constitutional.
Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017) – Triple Talaq unconstitutional.
Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995) – Second marriage after conversion invalid.
Seema v. Ashwani Kumar (2006) – Compulsory registration of marriage.
8. Environmental Law
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak, 1986) – Absolute liability principle.
M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997) – Public trust doctrine.
Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India (1996) – Precautionary & polluter pays principles.
Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India (1996) – Environmental clean-up liability.
T.N. Godavarman v. Union of India (1997) – Expanded definition of forest.
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Ganga Pollution, 1988) – Closure of polluting tanneries.
Union Carbide v. Union of India (1989) – Bhopal Gas Tragedy, strict liability.
Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action (1996) – Hazardous industries liability.
Essar Oil v. Halar Utkarsh Samiti (2004) – Environmental clearance mandatory.
Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (2000) – Development vs. environment.
9. Labour & Service Law
Randhir Singh v. Union of India (1982) – Equal pay for equal work.
Daily Rated Casual Labour v. Union of India (1988) – Casual labourers’ rights.
State of Karnataka v. Umadevi (2006) – Regularisation of temporary employees restricted.
Secretary, State of Karnataka v. Uma Devi (2006) – No automatic absorption of contract workers.
Air India v. Nergesh Meerza (1981) – Gender discrimination in service conditions struck down.
10. Corporate & Commercial Law
Tata Consultancy Services v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2004) – Software is “goods.”
LIC of India v. Consumer Education & Research Centre (1995) – Right to health for employees.
Vodafone International Holdings v. Union of India (2012) – Tax avoidance v. evasion.
Reliance Natural Resources Ltd v. Reliance Industries Ltd (2010) – Gas pricing; government ownership.
BALCO v. Kaiser Aluminium (2002) – Arbitration law clarified.
11. Consumer Protection & Media Law
Indian Medical Association v. V.P. Shantha (1995) – Medical services under Consumer Act.
Spring Meadows Hospital v. Harjot Ahluwalia (1998) – Compensation for medical negligence.
Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) – Data protection linked to privacy.
Sakal Papers v. Union of India (1962) – Freedom of press; price-page policy struck down.
Bennett Coleman v. Union of India (1973) – Newsprint policy unconstitutional.
12. Election Law
Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Fair elections part of basic structure.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2003) – Voter’s right to know (affidavits).
Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2002) – Disclosure of candidate info.
Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2013) – Disqualification of convicted MPs/MLAs.
Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006) – RS elections by open ballot.
13. Miscellaneous Important Cases
Nilabati Behera v. State of Orissa (1993) – Compensation for custodial deaths.
Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration (1978) – Prisoners’ rights.
Prem Shankar Shukla v. Delhi Administration (1980) – Handcuffing violates Art. 21.
Indian Express v. Union of India (1985) – Freedom of press & taxation.
Rajendra Prasad v. State of UP (1979) – Scope of death penalty.
Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979) – Right to speedy trial.
Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India (1984) – Bonded labour eradication.
Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) – Sexual harassment guidelines.
Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011) – Passive euthanasia permitted.
Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) – Right to die with dignity (living wills).
Shiv Kant Shukla v. ADM Jabalpur – (Reaffirmed liberty later).
Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) – Police reforms.
Jagmohan Singh v. State of UP (1973) – First case on constitutionality of death penalty.
Anuj Garg v. Hotel Association of India (2008) – Gender equality in employment.
Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986) – Right not to sing National Anthem.
Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) – Sabarimala entry of women.
Municipal Council, Ratlam v. Vardichan (1980) – Duty of municipality to protect environment.
MC Mehta v. Union of India (Taj Trapezium, 1997) – Pollution control near Taj Mahal.
Hinsa Virodhak Sangh v. Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat (2008) – Animal rights.
Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (2015) – NJAC unconstitutional; judicial primacy in appointments.