Law of the Land

The story of Indian courts and how they are inextricably linked to the life of the nation

THE HEART of the argument of Courts of India, Past to Present is provided by the famous trials in India, like that of Bhagat Singh, the sedition trials of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi, the Nanavati case that proved to be a watershed in process, leading to the dismantling of the jury system and, finally, the Yakub Memon trial and death sentence that is used to illustrate the several avenues for appeals which remain even when it’s all over.

In a book which looks like a coffee-table publication at first glance, with colour photographs, paintings and a few cartoons, each picked and placed carefully, there is much more on offer. The sweep of this book extends beyond the Supreme Court, to high courts and the lower judiciary. The volume is introduced by the former Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur.

A book with three judges and senior advocates on the editorial board, framing judicial institutions in a historical perspective, offers an exciting prospect. So much of the current conversation concerns how exactly one situates the Supreme Court and interpreters of the law vis-a-vis those who make the law and those who implement it. The Indian system is at an important inflection point, like it was 20 years ago when coalition governments were the norm and the nature of the strength of the executive was in question. At the time, judicial “activism”, SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Publications Division, Government of India 512 pages ` 1,900