Food For Thought (Law)

1. Each case will have to be decided on its own merits.

(Case-by-Case Adjudication: Each matter must be decided on its own merits.)

2. The Supreme Court must uphold the rule of law.

(Supreme Court’s Duty: The Supreme Court is bound to uphold the rule of law.)

3. To facilitate grant of substantial justice procedural rigority may not be permitted to overpower the judicial discretion and in appropriate cases delay be condoned, abatement be set aside and substitution be allowed.

(Substantial Justice over Technicality: Procedural rigidity should not override judicial discretion; in appropriate cases, delay may be condoned, abatement set aside, and substitution permitted.)

4. When an Act enjoins upon a specified authority that a particular act has to be done in a particular manner so that it may have jurisdiction to act further in the matter, the Act must be done in that manner in order to be considered valid, and confer on the authority such further jurisdiction.

(Mandatory Compliance with Statute: When legislation prescribes that an authority must act in a particular manner to acquire jurisdiction, such procedure must be strictly followed for validity.)

5. A 'decree nisi' or 'rule nisi' (from Latin nisi, meaning “unless”) is a court order that does not have any force unless a particular condition is met, the ruling becomes a decree absolute (rule absolute), and is binding.

(Decree Nisi: A decree nisi or rule nisi is a conditional order that becomes absolute and binding only upon fulfillment of specified conditions.)

6. Adhering to the procedure prescribed under the rules is sine qua non in every proceedings.

(Procedural Compliance: Adherence to prescribed procedure is a sine qua non in all proceedings.)

7. In order to constitute a Court in the strict sense of the term, an essential condition is that the Court should have, apart from having some of the trappings of a judicial tribunal, power to give a decision or a definitive Judgment which has finality and authoritativeness which are the essential tests of a judicial pronouncement.

(Definition of a Court: A true court must have the authority to deliver a definitive judgment with finality and authoritativeness—hallmarks of a judicial pronouncement.)

8. Once principles of natural justice is violated the order becomes a nullity.

(Natural Justice: Violation of principles of natural justice renders an order a nullity.)

9. Where questions of law were involved, the matter should be assigned to a Division Bench of the learned Tribunal.

Assignment of Legal Questions: Matters involving questions of law should be referred to a Division Bench of the Tribunal.

10. One facet of principles of natural justice is that nobody should be condemned unheard.

Audi Alteram Partem: No person should be condemned unheard—this is a core facet of natural justice.

11. For the fault of the Court, a party should not be allowed to suffer.

Court’s Fault: A litigant should not suffer for the fault of the Court.

12. The object of the Court is to decide the rights of the parties and not to punish them for mistakes they make in the conduct of their cases by deciding otherwise than in accordance with their right.

Purpose of Adjudication: The object of the Court is to determine rights, not to punish parties for procedural mistakes.

13. What cannot be done directly is not permissible to be made indirectly.

Indirect Action: What cannot be done directly cannot be permitted indirectly.

14. The object of the rule of law is to protect the weak and the helpless, the distressed and the down-trodden and it should not be restricted to a particular class or community.

Rule of Law: Its purpose is to protect the weak, helpless, and downtrodden, not just a particular class.

15. Cause of action is a bundle of facts, which are required to be pleaded and proved for the purpose of obtaining relief claimed in the suit.

Cause of Action: It is a bundle of facts that must be pleaded and proved to obtain relief.

16. The Court would be slow to throw out a claim on a mere technicality of pleading when substance of the thing is there. It is for the Judge to apply law to the facts of the case.

Substance over Technicality: Courts should not dismiss claims on mere technicalities when substantive rights are at stake.

17. Law need not be pleaded and it is the duty of the Court to apply law to the facts proved and found.

Application of Law: Law need not be pleaded; it is the Court’s duty to apply law to the facts proved.

18. Whenever an order is struck down as invalid being in violation of principles of natural justice, there is no final decision and fresh proceedings are left open.

Invalid Orders: When an order is struck down for violating natural justice, fresh proceedings remain open.

19. The reasonable opportunity is not confined only to the reply given to the show cause or the evidence adduced in its support, but it also includes the consideration of the defence taken by a person while taking a decision by the decision-making authority.

Reasonable Opportunity: It includes not only reply and evidence but also consideration of the defence raised.

20. A citizen has a legitimate and fundamental right to get justice by setting the criminal law in motion. A citizen has right to access judicial remedy which is a constitutionally protected right.

Right to Justice: Citizens have a fundamental right to access judicial remedies and set criminal law in motion.

21. Fraud amounts to abuse of the process of Court.

Fraud on Court: Fraud constitutes abuse of the judicial process.

22. Court is not expected to give indulgence to such indolent person, who compete with “Kumbhakarna” or for that matter with Rip Van Winkle.

Indolence: Courts should not indulge litigants who act with extreme negligence.

23. Every award shall be a decree and the statement of grounds of every award shall be a Judgment.

Awards as Decrees: Every award shall be treated as a decree, with its grounds forming a judgment.

24. If there is a conflict, attempt should be made to harmoniously construe the provisions.

Harmonious Construction: In case of conflict, provisions should be construed harmoniously.

25. The essence of a decision is its ratio, not every observation found therein.

Ratio Decidendi: The essence of a decision lies in its ratio, not in incidental observations.

26. A decision between the parties, which stands, not having been appealed from, binds them and it would not be open to either of the parties to challenge its correctness by initiating fresh proceedings.

Finality of Decisions: An unappealed decision binds the parties and cannot be challenged afresh.

27. Where power is to be exercised by certain authority in a certain way, it should be exercised in that manner or not at all and all other modes of performances are necessarily forbidden.

• If an action is required to be undertaken in a particular manner then that has to be done in that manner or not at all.

• If the statute prescribes a thing to be done in a particular manner, the same should be done in the same manner or not at all.

Exercise of Power: Authority must exercise power in the prescribed manner or not at all.

28. Administrative action must be supported by reasons.

Administrative Action: Must always be supported by reasons.

29. State action to be fair and legitimate.

Fairness of State Action: State action must be fair and legitimate.

30. Law made by Central Legislation shall prevail over the State Legislation.

Supremacy of Central Law: Central legislation prevails over State legislation.

31. At any stage before pronouncement of Judgment a case can be reopened to discover the truth, which is the very purpose of any judicial trial.

Reopening Cases: A case may be reopened before judgment to discover the truth—the essence of judicial trial.

32. The power of review is not inherent in a Court or Tribunal. It is a creature of the statute.

Review Power: Review is not inherent; it must be conferred by statute.

33. Law affecting procedure is always retrospective.

Procedural Law: Laws affecting procedure are retrospective in nature.

34. The High Courts are not constituted as inferior courts in our constitutional scheme.

High Courts’ Status: High Courts are not inferior courts under the constitutional scheme.

35. Challenge to judicial orders could lie by way of appeal or revision or under Article 227 and not by way of a writ under Article 226 and 32.

Challenge to Judicial Orders: Lies through appeal, revision, or Article 227—not by writ under Articles 226 or 32.

36. Where a statutory right to file an appeal has been provided for, it is not open to the High Court to entertain a petition under Article 227 Constitution of India.

Article 227 Limitation: Where a statutory appeal exists, High Courts cannot entertain petitions under Article 227.