100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know

100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know

These cases span fundamental rights, constitutional law, criminal justice, environmental protection, and more, representing pivotal moments in Indian jurisprudence.

1-20: Fundamental Rights and Individual Liberties

#	Case Name	Year	Summary
1	Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras	1950	Struck down a ban on a journal under the Madras Maintenance of Public Order Act as violative of freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a).
2	A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras	1950	Upheld preventive detention laws but laid groundwork for expanding Article 21's scope to include due process.
3	State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan	1951	Invalidated caste-based reservations in education, leading to the First Amendment introducing Article 15(4).
4	Shankari Prasad v. Union of India	1951	Affirmed Parliament's power to amend Fundamental Rights under Article 368.
5	Berubari Union Case	1960	Clarified that cession of territory requires a constitutional amendment, not just parliamentary legislation.
6	Golaknath v. State of Punjab	1967	Held that Fundamental Rights are not amendable by Parliament, introducing the prospect of judicial supremacy.
7	R.C. Cooper v. Union of India (Bank Nationalization Case)	1970	Expanded Article 31 to include the right to property and struck down parts of the Banking Companies Act.
8	Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala	1973	Introduced the Basic Structure Doctrine, limiting Parliament's amending power to preserve the Constitution's core features.
9	Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain	1975	Invalidated the 39th Amendment and reinforced the Basic Structure Doctrine in electoral law.
10	ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla (Habeas Corpus Case)	1976	Upheld suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency (later overruled).
11	Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India	1978	Expanded Article 21 to include due process, interlinking it with Articles 14 and 19 for personal liberty.
12	Minerva Mills v. Union of India	1980	Struck down parts of the 42nd Amendment, affirming judicial review as part of the Basic Structure.
13	Waman Rao v. Union of India	1981	Applied prospective overruling to Ninth Schedule laws post-Kesavananda.
14	Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum	1985	Upheld maintenance rights for divorced Muslim women under Section 125 CrPC, sparking UCC debate.
15	Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation	1985	Held that the right to livelihood is integral to the right to life under Article 21.
16	M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak Case)	1987	Introduced absolute liability for hazardous industries, evolving environmental jurisprudence.
17	Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (Mandal Commission Case)	1992	Upheld 27% OBC reservations but capped total at 50% and excluded creamy layer.
18	S.R. Bommai v. Union of India	1994	Made imposition of President's Rule under Article 356 subject to judicial review.
19	Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan	1997	Laid down guidelines to prevent sexual harassment at workplaces, later codified in POSH Act.
20	TMA Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka	2002	Defined the scope of state regulation over private educational institutions' autonomy.

21-40: Criminal Law and Justice

 

#	Case Name	Year	Summary
21	Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar	1962	Limited sedition law under Section 124A IPC to acts inciting violence, protecting critical speech.
22	State of Punjab v. Baldev Singh	1999	Mandated procedural safeguards for NDPS Act searches to prevent abuse.
23	D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal	1997	Issued guidelines to prevent custodial violence and torture, enhancing arrestee rights.
24	Selvi v. State of Karnataka	2010	Prohibited narco-analysis, polygraph, and brain mapping without consent as violative of Article 20(3).
25	Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar	2014	Directed that arrests in offenses punishable by <7 years be exceptions, curbing misuse.
26	Shatrughan Chauhan v. Union of India	2017	Issued guidelines for mercy petitions in death penalty cases, emphasizing commutation.
27	Common Cause v. Union of India (Passive Euthanasia)	2018	Legalized passive euthanasia and living wills for terminally ill patients.
28	Mukesh v. State (Nirbhaya Case)	2017	Upheld death penalty for gang rape, reinforcing fast-track justice for sexual offenses.
29	Joseph Shine v. Union of India	2018	Struck down Section 497 IPC (adultery) as unconstitutional, violating women's dignity.
30	Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India	2018	Decriminalized homosexuality by reading down Section 377 IPC.
31	Hadiya Case (Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M.)	2018	Affirmed adults' right to choose partners, striking down forced conversions.
32	P. Chidambaram v. Directorate of Enforcement	2020	Clarified bail under Section 438 CrPC in economic offenses, prioritizing liberty.
33	Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI	2022	Issued comprehensive guidelines on bail vs. jail, criticizing undertrial detention.
34	Bilkis Bano v. Union of India	2024	Quashed premature release of 2002 Gujarat riot convicts, upholding victim justice.
35	Kaushal Kishor v. State of UP	2023	Expanded hate speech regulation under Article 19(2), beyond IPC provisions.
36	Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India	2020	Struck down indefinite internet shutdowns in J&K as violative of free speech.
37	Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali v. NIA	2019	Set stringent bail criteria in terror financing cases under UAPA.
38	K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (Privacy)	2017	Declared right to privacy a fundamental right under Articles 14, 19, and 21.
39	Lalita Kumari v. Govt of UP	2014	Mandated FIR registration for cognizable offenses, preventing police discretion.
40	DK Basu Guidelines (reaffirmed in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh)	2021	Strengthened custodial death prevention protocols.

41-60: Constitutional and Administrative Law

 

#	Case Name	Year	Summary
41	Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan	1965	Upheld Parliament's amending power over Fundamental Rights (pre-Golaknath).
42	Three Judges Cases (S.P. Gupta, SCAORA, Special Reference)	1981-1998	Evolved the Collegium system for judicial appointments, ensuring judicial independence.
43	L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India	1997	Held tribunals subject to High Court/Supreme Court review under Articles 226/32.
44	IR Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu	2007	Allowed judicial review of Ninth Schedule laws if they violate Basic Structure.
45	NJAC Case (Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Assn. v. UOI)	2015	Struck down the 99th Amendment establishing National Judicial Appointments Commission.
46	Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India	2018	Affirmed Delhi CM's executive primacy over Lt. Governor in most matters.
47	Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India (Defamation)	2016	Upheld criminal defamation under Sections 499/500 IPC as reasonable restriction.
48	Shayara Bano v. Union of India (Triple Talaq)	2017	Declared instant triple talaq unconstitutional, violating Article 14.
49	Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India (EWS Reservation)	2022	Upheld 10% EWS quota under 103rd Amendment as not violating Basic Structure.
50	Supriyo v. Union of India (Same-Sex Marriage)	2023	Denied constitutional right to same-sex marriage, leaving it to legislation.
51	Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India	2024	Struck down Electoral Bonds scheme as opaque and violative of voters' right to information.
52	State of West Bengal v. Union of India	1963	Clarified federal structure, holding states as equal partners with Centre.
53	Ram Jawaya Kapur v. State of Punjab	1955	Executive derives power from Constitution, not mere legislative sanction.
54	UCO Bank v. Their Workmen	1963	Defined "industry" broadly under Industrial Disputes Act for labor rights.
55	Excel Wear v. Union of India	1978	Laid principles for retrenchment compensation in industrial disputes.
56	Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India	1984	Expanded Article 21 to include bonded labor eradication and rehabilitation.
57	People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (Right to Food)	2001	Directed implementation of food security schemes under Article 21.
58	Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh	1993	Held education a fundamental right up to age 14 under Article 21.
59	Mohini Jain v. State of Karnataka	1992	Declared capitation fees unconstitutional, affirming affordable education.
60	Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust v. Union of India	2014	Exempted minority institutions from RTE Act's 25% reservation quota.

61-80: Environmental and Public Interest Law

 

#	Case Name	Year	Summary
61	Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India	1996	Introduced precautionary and polluter pays principles in environmental law.
62	M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Taj Trapezium)	1996	Ordered pollution control measures to protect Taj Mahal using sustainable development.
63	Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India (Bichhri Case)	1996	Applied polluter pays principle to remediate chemical industry pollution.
64	Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India	2000	Balanced development with rehabilitation rights under Article 21 for displaced persons.
65	T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India	1997	Expanded forest conservation to all non-recorded forest areas.
66	Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar	1991	Enforced right to pollution-free water as part of Article 21.
67	A.P. Pollution Control Board v. Prof. M.V. Nayudu	1999	Emphasized expert committees in environmental decision-making.
68	Hanuman Laxman Charati v. State of Maharashtra	2009	Upheld community rights over private property in eco-sensitive zones.
69	Techi Tagi Tara v. Rajendra Oinam	2016	Mandated cumulative impact assessments for mining in fragile ecosystems.
70	M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (CNG Vehicles)	2001	Directed switch to CNG for public transport to combat Delhi air pollution.
71	Research Foundation for Science v. Union of India (Shipbreaking)	2007	Regulated hazardous shipbreaking under Basel Convention principles.
72	Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India	2011	Allowed mining post-environmental clearance if public interest served.
73	Orissa Mining Corporation v. Ministry of Environment	2013	Quashed mining leases in violation of Forest Rights Act.
74	Common Cause v. Union of India (Ganga Pollution)	2017	Ordered cleanup of Ganga, holding states accountable under Article 21.
75	M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India (Girnar Sanctuary)	2014	Protected wildlife habitats from development without clearance.
76	Alembic Pharmaceuticals v. Rohit Prajapati	2020	Relaxed effluent standards enforcement during COVID but upheld monitoring.
77	Hanif Qureshi v. State of Bihar	1958	Upheld cow slaughter bans as reasonable under Article 19(1)(g).
78	Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of UP	1985	Closed mining operations in Dehradun valley for ecological restoration.
79	Kamal Nath v. Union of India	1998	Applied Public Trust Doctrine to protect natural resources from commercial exploitation.
80	Intellectuals Forum v. State of AP	2006	Mandated relocation of coastal structures with environmental compensation.

81-100: Economic, Electoral, and Miscellaneous Law

 

#	Case Name	Year	Summary
81	Keshav Mills v. CIT	1965	Defined judicial review scope in tax matters under Article 136.
82	Excel Wear v. Union of India	1979	Upheld closure rights of industries under labor laws.
83	Air India v. Nergesh Meerza	1981	Struck down discriminatory retirement age for air hostesses.
84	M.G. Abellha v. State of Kerala	1989	Affirmed right to health as part of Article 21 for medical negligence.
85	Consumer Unity & Trust Society v. State of Rajasthan	1991	Allowed private participation in telecom under licensing regime.
86	Delhi Science Forum v. Union of India	1996	Upheld TRAI's regulatory powers in telecom liberalization.
87	Association of Registration Plates v. Union of India	2005	Mandated high-security plates for vehicles under MV Act.
88	Centre for Public Interest Litigation v. Union of India (2G Spectrum)	2012	Cancelled 122 2G licenses for arbitrariness, ordering auctions.
89	Manohar Lal Sharma v. Principal Secretary (Coal Scam)	2014	Declared coal block allocations illegal, mandating e-auctions.
90	Yashwant Sinha v. CBI (Rafale Deal)	2019	Dismissed PIL challenging Rafale purchase, affirming commercial confidentiality.
91	Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India (Electoral Rolls)	2023	Transferred ECI appointment to a committee including CJI for neutrality.
92	K. Krishna Murthy v. Union of India	2020	Mandated state EC appointments by independent committees.
93	People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (VVPAT)	2013	Directed VVPAT implementation for verifiable voting.
94	Lily Thomas v. Union of India	2013	Disqualified convicted legislators immediately upon conviction.
95	Public Interest Foundation v. Union of India	2018	Capped political party office terms and mandated inner-party democracy.
96	National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India	2014	Recognized transgender as third gender with equal rights.
97	Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (Aadhaar)	2018	Upheld Aadhaar's constitutionality with privacy safeguards.
98	Kaushambi Brickfield v. State of UP	2017	Protected child laborers' rights under Article 24 and 21.
99	Entertainment Network v. Super Cassette	2008	Balanced copyright and broadcasting rights under fair use.
100	Shreya Singhal v. Union of India	2015	Struck down Section 66A IT Act for chilling free speech online.

This list highlights cases that have profoundly influenced Indian law and society.