Court CasesLandmark judgments: the facts, the question, what the court held and why it matters

Cases42 in the database

  • Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of IndiaLandmark

    (2018) 10 SCC 1 · Supreme Court of India · 2018

    Consensual adult same-sex relations are not a crime; section 377 was read down.

  • Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of IndiaLandmark

    (2017) 10 SCC 1 · Supreme Court of India · 2017

    The right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21.

  • Mukesh v. State (NCT of Delhi)Landmark

    (2017) 6 SCC 1 · Supreme Court of India · 2017

    Extreme brutality in gang rape and murder attracts the death sentence under the rarest-of-rare doctrine.

  • Vishaka v. State of RajasthanLandmark

    AIR 1997 SC 3011 · Supreme Court of India · 1997

    Sexual harassment at work violates Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21; the Vishaka Guidelines filled the legal vacuum.

  • S.R. Bommai v. Union of IndiaLandmark

    (1994) 3 SCC 1 · Supreme Court of India · 1994

    Article 356 proclamations are open to judicial review and majority must be tested on the floor of the House.

  • Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Ltd v. Brojo Nath GangulyLandmark

    AIR 1986 SC 1571 · Supreme Court of India · 1986

    Unfair and unreasonable terms imposed by a party with unequal bargaining power are void as against public policy.

  • Bachan Singh v. State of PunjabLandmark

    AIR 1980 SC 898 · Supreme Court of India · 1980

    Death penalty only in the rarest of rare cases; life imprisonment is the rule.

  • Minerva Mills Ltd v. Union of IndiaLandmark

    AIR 1980 SC 1789 · Supreme Court of India · 1980

    Parliament's amending power is limited and cannot be made unlimited; judicial review is part of the basic structure.

  • Tukaram v. State of MaharashtraLandmarkOverruled

    AIR 1979 SC 185 · Supreme Court of India · 1979

    The decision equated passive submission with consent - a view legislatively reversed in 1983.

  • Maneka Gandhi v. Union of IndiaLandmark

    (1978) 1 SCC 248 · Supreme Court of India · 1978

    Procedure under Article 21 must be fair, just and reasonable; Articles 14, 19 and 21 are read together.

  • ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant ShuklaLandmarkOverruled

    AIR 1976 SC 1207 · Supreme Court of India · 1976

    Held that liberty could be wholly suspended in an Emergency - overruled in Puttaswamy (2017).

  • Kesavananda Bharati v. State of KeralaLandmark

    (1973) 4 SCC 225 · Supreme Court of India · 1973

    Parliament cannot amend the basic structure of the Constitution.

  • I.C. Golaknath v. State of PunjabLandmarkOverruled

    AIR 1967 SC 1643 · Supreme Court of India · 1967

    Fundamental rights were held beyond Parliament's amending power - superseded by the basic structure doctrine.

  • Niranjan Shankar Golikari v. Century Spinning and Manufacturing Co. LtdLandmark

    AIR 1967 SC 1098 · Supreme Court of India · 1967

    A negative covenant during the term of employment is valid; post-employment restraints are void under section 27.

  • Bhagwandas Goverdhandas Kedia v. Girdharilal Parshottamdas & Co.Landmark

    AIR 1966 SC 543 · Supreme Court of India · 1966

    A contract by telephone is made where the offeror hears the acceptance.

  • K.M. Nanavati v. State of MaharashtraLandmark

    AIR 1962 SC 605 · Supreme Court of India · 1962

    Grave and sudden provocation is judged by the reasonable-man test and is lost once there is time to cool down.

  • Abhayanand Mishra v. State of BiharLandmark

    AIR 1961 SC 1698 · Supreme Court of India · 1961

    Preparation ends and attempt begins with the first act towards commission of the offence.

  • Gherulal Parakh v. Mahadeodas MaiyaLandmark

    AIR 1959 SC 781 · Supreme Court of India · 1959

    A wager is void but not unlawful; collateral agreements to it are enforceable.

  • Virsa Singh v. State of PunjabLandmark

    AIR 1958 SC 465 · Supreme Court of India · 1958

    For murder under clause thirdly, the accused need only intend the injury inflicted; its sufficiency to cause death is judged objectively.

  • Satyabrata Ghose v. Mugneeram Bangur & Co.Landmark

    AIR 1954 SC 44 · Supreme Court of India · 1954

    Frustration under section 56 covers impracticability that destroys the basis of the contract, not mere delay.

  • A.K. Gopalan v. State of MadrasLandmarkOverruled

    AIR 1950 SC 27 · Supreme Court of India · 1950

    Any procedure enacted by law satisfies Article 21 - a reading overruled by Maneka Gandhi.

  • Mahbub Shah v. EmperorLandmark

    AIR 1945 PC 118 · Judicial Committee of the Privy Council · 1945

    Common intention needs a prior meeting of minds; similar intention is not common intention.

  • Barendra Kumar Ghosh v. King EmperorLandmark

    AIR 1925 PC 1 · Judicial Committee of the Privy Council · 1925

    Every participant in a crime committed with a common intention is liable as if he did it alone.

  • Balfour v. BalfourLandmark

    [1919] 2 KB 571 · Court of Appeal (England and Wales) · 1919

    Domestic and social agreements are presumed not to be intended to create legal relations.

  • Lalman Shukla v. Gauri DuttLandmark

    (1913) 11 All LJ 489 · Allahabad High Court · 1913

    There is no acceptance of an offer that the acceptor did not know about.

  • Mohori Bibee v. Dharmodas GhoseLandmark

    (1903) 30 IA 114 · Judicial Committee of the Privy Council · 1903

    An agreement by a minor is void ab initio; a minor cannot be made to repay money advanced under it.

  • Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co.Landmark

    [1893] 1 QB 256 · Court of Appeal (England and Wales) · 1893

    A general offer is accepted by performing its conditions; no separate communication of acceptance is needed.

  • Derry v. PeekLandmark

    (1889) 14 App Cas 337 · House of Lords · 1889

    Fraud needs a false statement made knowingly, without belief in its truth, or recklessly.

  • Chinnaya v. RamayyaLandmark

    (1882) ILR 4 Mad 137 · Madras High Court · 1882

    Consideration may move from a third party, not only from the promisee.

  • Reg. v. GovindaLandmark

    (1876) ILR 1 Bom 342 · Bombay High Court · 1876

    Murder differs from culpable homicide in the degree of probability that the act will cause death.

  • Hadley v. BaxendaleLandmark

    (1854) 9 Exch 341 · Court of Exchequer (England) · 1854

    Only losses that arise naturally or that both parties contemplated at contracting are recoverable.

  • Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz FoundationOverruled

    (2014) 1 SCC 1 · Supreme Court of India · 2013

    Upheld section 377 IPC; overruled in Navtej Singh Johar (2018).

  • Machhi Singh v. State of Punjab

    AIR 1983 SC 957 · Supreme Court of India · 1983

    Death penalty follows a balance sheet of aggravating and mitigating circumstances under five indicative categories.

  • Khan Gul v. Lakha Singh

    AIR 1928 Lah 609 · Lahore High Court · 1928

    A minor who lies about his age must restore the benefit received, even though the contract is void.

  • Chikkam Ammiraju v. Chikkam Seshamma

    (1917) ILR 41 Mad 33 · Madras High Court · 1917

    A threat to commit suicide amounts to coercion.

  • Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd v. Selfridge & Co. Ltd

    [1915] AC 847 · House of Lords · 1915

    A stranger to a contract cannot sue on it.

  • Harvey v. Facey

    [1893] AC 552 · Judicial Committee of the Privy Council · 1893

    A quotation of price is an invitation to treat, not an offer.

  • Mannu Singh v. Umadat Pande

    (1890) ILR 12 All 523 · Allahabad High Court · 1890

    A gift by a devotee to his guru of all his property is presumed to be under undue influence.

  • Kedar Nath Bhattacharji v. Gorie Mahomed

    (1886) ILR 14 Cal 64 · Calcutta High Court · 1886

    A charitable promise is binding once the promisee has incurred liability in reliance on it.

  • R v. Dudley and Stephens

    (1884) 14 QBD 273 · Queen's Bench Division (England) · 1884

    Necessity is not a defence to murder.

  • Cundy v. Lindsay

    (1878) 3 App Cas 459 · House of Lords · 1878

    A mistake as to the identity of the contracting party renders the agreement void.

  • Felthouse v. Bindley

    (1862) 11 CB (NS) 869 · Court of Common Pleas (England) · 1862

    Silence is not acceptance; acceptance must be communicated.