Case brief index
Constitutional Law
98 cases organised by topic.
State Action and Article 12
Meaning of State, instrumentality of State, public function, horizontal application
- Rajasthan State Electricity Board, Jaipur v. Mohan Lal, AIR 1967 SC 1857
- Sukhdev Singh v. Bhagatram Sardar Singh Raghuvanshi, AIR 1975 SC 1331
- Ramana Dayaram Shetty v. International Airport Authority of India, AIR 1979 SC 1628
- Ajay Hasia v. Khalid Mujib Sehravardi, AIR 1981 SC 487
- Pradeep Kumar Biswas v. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, (2002) 5 SCC 111
- Zee Telefilms Ltd. v. Union of India, (2005) 4 SCC 649
- Janet Jeyapaul v. SRM University, AIR 2016 SC 73; (2015) 16 SCC 530
- Kaushal Kishor v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (2023) 4 SCC 1
Definition of “Law” under Article 13
Retrospective effect, severability, eclipse, waiver, presumption of constitutionality
- Keshavan Madhava Menon v. State of Bombay, AIR 1951 SC 128
- State of Bombay v. F.N. Balsara, AIR 1951 SC 318
- Bhikaji Narain Dhakras v. State of Madhya Pradesh, AIR 1955 SC 781
- State of Gujarat v. Shri Ambica Mills Ltd., (1974) 4 SCC 656
- Basheshar Nath v. Commissioner of Income Tax, AIR 1959 SC 149
- Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar, AIR 1962 SC 955
Equality and Classification
Article 14, reasonable classification, equal protection
Equality and Arbitrariness
Article 14, manifest arbitrariness, constitutional morality
Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
Articles 14 and 15, sex discrimination, gender justice, sexuality
- Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1997 SC 3011
- Anuj Garg v. Hotel Association of India, AIR 2008 SC 663
- Air India v. Nergesh Meerza, AIR 1981 SC 1829
- National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, AIR 2014 SC 1863; (2014) 5 SCC 438
- Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty v. Union of India, 2023 SCC OnLine SC 1348; 2023 INSC 920
Caste, Reservation and Substantive Equality
Articles 15, 16 and 17, affirmative action, backwardness, reservation limits
- Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, AIR 1993 SC 477; 1992 Supp (3) SCC 217
- Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India, (2008) 6 SCC 1
- Ram Singh v. Union of India, (2015) 4 SCC 697
- Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta, (2018) 10 SCC 396
- Dr. Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. Chief Minister, State of Maharashtra, (2021) 8 SCC 1
- Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India, (2023) 5 SCC 1
- State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh, 2024 INSC 562
Freedom of Speech and Expression
Article 19(1)(a), press freedom, internet shutdowns, reasonable restrictions
- Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras, AIR 1950 SC 124
- Sakal Papers (P) Ltd. v. Union of India, AIR 1962 SC 305
- Bennett Coleman & Co. v. Union of India, AIR 1973 SC 106
- S. Rangarajan v. P. Jagjivan Ram, (1989) 2 SCC 574
- Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, AIR 2015 SC 1523; (2015) 5 SCC 1
- Union of India v. Naveen Jindal, AIR 2004 SC 1559; (2004) 2 SCC 510
- Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India, AIR 2020 SC 1308; (2020) 3 SCC 637
Right to Life and Personal Liberty
Article 21, due process, dignity, livelihood, privacy, education
- A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras, AIR 1950 SC 27
- Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, AIR 1978 SC 597; (1978) 1 SCC 248
- Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration, (1978) 4 SCC 494
- Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation, AIR 1986 SC 180; (1985) 3 SCC 545
- Francis Coralie Mullin v. Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi, AIR 1981 SC 746; (1981) 1 SCC 608
- Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India, AIR 1984 SC 802; (1984) 3 SCC 161
- Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, (2018) 10 SCC 1
- Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1
- Unni Krishnan, J.P. v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (1993) 1 SCC 645
Freedom of Religion
Articles 25 to 28, essential religious practices, secularism, religious autonomy
- Shayara Bano v. Union of India, AIR 2017 SC 4609; (2017) 9 SCC 1
- Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala, (2019) 11 SCC 1
- Commissioner, Hindu Religious Endowments, Madras v. Sri Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiar of Sri Shirur Mutt, AIR 1954 SC 282
- Sardar Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb v. State of Bombay, AIR 1962 SC 853
- Acharya Jagadishwarananda Avadhuta v. Commissioner of Police, Calcutta, (1983) 4 SCC 522
- Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala, (1986) 3 SCC 615
- Rev. Stainislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh, AIR 1977 SC 908; (1977) 1 SCC 677
- Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India, AIR 1995 SC 605; (1994) 6 SCC 360
- Aishat Shifa v. State of Karnataka, (2023) 2 SCC 1
Minority and Cultural Educational Rights
Articles 29 and 30, minority institutions, educational autonomy
Territory and Reorganisation
Articles 1 to 4, creation of States, alteration of boundaries, Article 370
Cession and Acquisition of Territory
Sovereignty, territorial exchange, constitutional procedure
Territorial Legislative Competence
Article 245, territorial nexus, legislative reach
Doctrine of Pith and Substance
Legislative lists, true nature of law, incidental encroachment
Harmonious Construction of Legislative Entries
Overlapping entries, reconciliation of Union and State powers
Residuary Powers and Repugnancy
Articles 248 and 254, residuary field, conflicting laws
Constitutional Amendment and Basic Structure
Article 368, limits on amendment power, basic structure doctrine
- M. Nagaraj v. Union of India, (2006) 8 SCC 212; AIR 2007 SC 71
- I.C. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab, AIR 1967 SC 1643
- Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, AIR 1973 SC 1461; (1973) 4 SCC 225
- Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain, AIR 1975 SC 2299; 1975 Supp SCC 1
- Minerva Mills Ltd. v. Union of India, AIR 1980 SC 1789; (1980) 3 SCC 625
- I.R. Coelho (Dead) by LRs v. State of Tamil Nadu, (2007) 2 SCC 1
- Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu, AIR 1993 SC 412; 1992 Supp (2) SCC 651
- Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India, (2016) 5 SCC 1
- Madras Bar Association v. Union of India, (2014) 10 SCC 1
Union and State Executive
Governor, aid and advice, discretion, federal executive power
- Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India, (2018) 8 SCC 501
- Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 1974 SC 2192; (1974) 2 SCC 831
- M.P. Special Police Establishment v. State of Madhya Pradesh, AIR 2005 SC 325; (2004) 8 SCC 788
- Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, AIR 2016 SC 3209; (2016) 8 SCC 1
- State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 770
Ordinance-Making Power
Executive law-making, re-promulgation, limits on ordinance power
Constitutional Emergencies
National emergency, President’s Rule, judicial review, federal breakdown
- In Re: Article 370 of the Constitution, 2023 INSC 1058
- Makhan Singh Tarsikka v. State of Punjab, AIR 1964 SC 381
- Additional District Magistrate, Jabalpur v. Shivakant Shukla, AIR 1976 SC 1207; (1976) 2 SCC 521
- State of Rajasthan v. Union of India, AIR 1977 SC 1361; (1977) 3 SCC 592
- S.R. Bommai v. Union of India, AIR 1994 SC 1918; (1994) 3 SCC 1
- Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of India, AIR 2006 SC 980; (2006) 2 SCC 1
Judiciary and Judges’ Appointments
Judicial independence, collegium system, appointments
- First Judges Case: S.P. Gupta v. Union of India, 1981 Supp SCC 87
- Second Judges Case: Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India, (1993) 4 SCC 441
- Third Judges Case: In Re: Special Reference No. 1 of 1998, (1998) 7 SCC 739
- Fourth Judges Case/NJAC Case: Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India, (2016) 5 SCC 1