Indian Polity • JudiciaryHard
Analyze the scope of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court of Kerala: Which of the following procedural and substantive standards govern the entertaining of PIL petitions by the judiciary?
A. The petitioner must have direct personal legal injury or proprietary interest in the subject matter.
B. Relaxation of strict locus standi rules allows public-spirited individuals or organizations to approach the court for vindicating the rights of marginalized or disadvantaged groups.✓ Correct Answer
C. PILs can only be filed directly in the Supreme Court under Article 32 and never in High Courts under Article 226.
D. Courts do not entertain PILs involving environmental protection or human rights abuses in state institutions.
💡 Solution & Explanation
Public Interest Litigation introduces a relaxation of the traditional rule of locus standi, permitting public-spirited individuals or social action groups to knock on the doors of justice on behalf of marginalized or oppressed sections unable to seek redress themselves. Unlike ordinary civil suits, petitioners do not need to prove personal legal injury. This judicial innovation falls under the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32 and High Courts under Article 226, forming a core component of judicial activism in India.
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