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9/10/2016

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) A Boon or Bane


LegalServiceIndiaPublicInterestLitigation(PIL)ABoonorBane?
PublicInterestLitigation(PIL)ABoonorBane?
Writtenby:Shri.V.S.Vadivel,FCA,ACS.CharteredAccountant,Chennai
Chatwithus(2PM9PMIST)

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ThedevelopmentofPublicInterestLitigation(PIL)inthecountryhasveryrecentlyuncovereditsownpitfallsanddrawbacks.Thegenuinecausesandcasesof
publicinteresthaveinfactrecededtothebackgroundandirresponsiblePILactivistsalloverthecountryhavestartedtoplayamajorbutnotaconstructiverole
inthearenaoflitigation.Theytrytoutilisethisextraordinaryremedy,availableatacheapercost,asasubstituteforordinaryones.Thisminiarticlebriefly
narratestheilleffectsoftheemergingmaladyandpossibleremedies.
Justicewithoutforceisimpotent
forcewithoutjusticeistyrannyPascalinPensees.
TherearetimeswhenevenjusticebringsharmwithitSophoclesinElectra.
InjusticeanywhereisathreattojusticeeverywhereMartinLutherKing,Jr.
Till1960sandseventies,theconceptoflitigationinIndiawasstillinitsrudimentaryformandwasseenasaprivatepursuitforthevindicationofprivatevested
interests.Litigationinthosedaysconsistedmainlyofsomeactioninitiatedandcontinuedbycertainindividuals,usually,addressingtheirown
grievances/problems.Thus,theinitiationandcontinuanceoflitigationwastheprerogativeoftheinjuredpersonortheaggrievedparty.Eventhiswasgreatly
limitedbytheresourcesavailablewiththoseindividuals.Therewasverylittleorganisedeffortsorattemptstotakeupwiderissuesthataffected
classesofconsumersorthegeneralpublicatlarge.

However,allthesescenariochangedduringEightieswiththeSupremeCourtofIndialedtheconceptofpublicinterestlitigation(PIL).TheSupremeCourtof
Indiagaveallindividualsinthecountryandthenewlyformedconsumergroupsorsocialactiongroups,aneasieraccesstothelawandintroducedintheirwork
abroadpublicinterestperspective.
PublicInterestLitigation(PIL)Thelegalhistory:
PublicInterestLitigationpopularlyknownasPILcanbebroadlydefinedaslitigationintheinterestofthatnebulousentity:thepublicingeneral.Priorto1980s,
onlytheaggrievedpartycouldpersonallyknockthedoorsofjusticeandseekremedyforhisgrievanceandanyotherpersonwhowasnotpersonallyaffected
couldnotknockthedoorsofjusticeasaproxyforthevictimortheaggrievedparty.Inotherwords,onlytheaffectedpartieshadthelocusstandi(standing
requiredinlaw)tofileacaseandcontinuethelitigationandthenonaffectedpersonshadnolocusstanditodoso.Andasaresult,therewashardlyanylink
betweentherightsguaranteedbytheConstitutionofIndianUnionandthelawsmadebythelegislatureontheonehandandthevastmajorityofilliteratecitizens
ontheother.
However,allthesescenariograduallychangedwhenthepostemergencySupremeCourttackledtheproblemofaccesstojusticebypeoplethroughradical
changesandalterationsmadeintherequirementsoflocusstandiandofpartyaggrieved.ThesplendideffortsofJusticePNBhagwatiandJusticeVRKrishna
IyerwereinstrumentalofthisjuristicrevolutionofeightiestoconverttheapexcourtofIndiaintoaSupremeCourtforallIndians.Andasaresultanycitizenof
Indiaoranyconsumergroupsorsocialactiongroupscanapproachtheapexcourtofthecountryseekinglegalremediesinallcaseswheretheinterestsof
generalpublicorasectionofpublicareatstake.Further,publicinterestcasescouldbefiledwithoutinvestmentofheavycourtfeesasrequiredinprivatecivil
litigation.
PILABoon:
1.InPublicInterestLitigation(PIL)vigilantcitizensofthecountrycanfindaninexpensivelegalremedybecausethereisonlyanominalfixedcourtfeeinvolved
inthis.
2.Further,throughthesocalledPIL,thelitigantscanfocusattentiononandachieveresultspertainingtolargerpublicissues,especiallyinthefieldsofhuman
rights,consumerwelfareandenvironment.

AbuseofPIL:
However,thedevelopmentofPILhasalsouncovereditspitfallsanddrawbacks.Asaresult,theapexcourtitselfhasbeencompelledtolaydowncertain
guidelinestogovernthemanagementanddisposalofPILs.AndtheabuseofPILisalsoincreasingalongwithitsextendedandmultifaceteduse.
Oflate,manyofthePILactivistsinthecountryhavefoundthePILasahandytoolofharassmentsincefrivolouscasescouldbefiledwithoutinvestmentof
heavycourtfeesasrequiredinprivatecivillitigationanddealscouldthenbenegotiatedwiththevictimsofstayordersobtainedinthesocalledPILs.
Justasaweaponmeantfordefencecanbeusedequallyeffectivelyforoffence,theloweringofthelocusstandirequirementhaspermittedprivatelymotivated
intereststoposeaspublicinterests.TheabuseofPILhasbecomemorerampantthanitsuseandgenuinecauseseitherrecededtothebackgroundorbeganto
beviewedwiththesuspiciongeneratedbyspuriouscausesmootedbyprivatelymotivatedinterestsinthedisguiseofthesocalledpublicinterests.
StepsNecessary:
WiththeviewtoregulatetheabuseofPILtheapexcourtitselfhasframedcertainguidelines(togovernthemanagementanddisposalofPILs.)Thecourtmust

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9/10/2016

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) A Boon or Bane


becarefultoseethatthepetitionerwhoapproachesitisactingbonafideandnotforpersonalgain,privateprofitorpoliticalorotherobliqueconsiderations.The
courtshouldnotallowitsprocesstobeabusedbypoliticiansandotherstodelaylegitimateadministrativeactionortogainpoliticalobjectives.Politicalpressure
groupswhocouldnotachievetheiraimsthroughtheadministrativeprocessorpoliticalprocessmaytrytousethecourts(throughthemeansofPILs)tofurther
theircloselyvestedaimsandinterests.
TheremaybecaseswherethePILmayaffecttherightofpersonsnotbeforethecourt,andthereforeinshapingthereliefthecourtmustinvariablytakeinto
accountitsimpactonthoseinterestsandthecourtmustexercisegreatestcautionandadoptprocedureensuringsufficientnoticetoallinterestslikelytobe
affected.
Atpresent,thecourtcantreataletterasawritpetitionandtakeactionuponit.But,itisnoteveryletterwhichmaybetreatedasawritpetitionbythecourt.The
courtwouldbejustifiedintreatingtheletterasawritpetitiononlyinthefollowingcases
(i)Itisonlywheretheletterisaddressedbyanaggrievedpersonor
(ii)apublicspiritedindividualor
(iii)asocialactiongroupforenforcementoftheconstitutionalorthelegalrightsofapersonincustodyorofaclassorgroupofpersonswhobyreasonof
poverty,disabilityorsociallyoreconomicallydisadvantagedpositionfinditdifficulttoapproachthecourtforredress.
EventhoughitisverymuchessentialtocurbthemisuseandabuseofPIL,anymovebythegovernmenttoregulatethePILresultsinwidespreadprotestsfrom
thosewhoarenotawareofitsabuseandequateanyformofregulationwitherosionoftheirfundamentalrights.UnderthesecircumstancestheSupremeCourt
OfIndiaisrequiredtostepinbyincorporatingsafeguardsprovidedbythecivilprocedurecodeinmattersofstayorders/injunctionsinthearenaofPIL.
InthelandmarkcaseofRaunaqInternationalLimitedv/sIVRConstructionLtd,JusticeSujataVManoharrightlyenunciatedthatwhenastayorderisobtained
attheinstanceofaprivatepartyorevenattheinstanceofabodylitigatinginpublicinterest,anyinterimorderwhichstopstheprojectfromproceedingfurther
mustprovideforthereimbursementofcoststothepublicincaseultimatelythelitigationstartedbysuchanindividualorbodyfails.Inotherwordsthepublic
mustbecompensatedbothforthedelayintheimplementationoftheprojectandthecostescalationresultingfromsuchdelay.

Conclusion:
PublicInterestLitigants,alloverthecountry,havenottakenverykindlytosuchcourtdecisions.Theydofearthatthiswillsoundthedeathknellofthepeople
friendlyconceptofPIL.However,bonafidelitigantsofIndiahavenothingtofear.OnlythosePILactivistswhoprefertofilefrivolouscomplaintswillhavetopay
compensationtothenoppositeparties.ItisactuallyawelcomemovebecausenooneinthecountrycandenythatevenPILactivistsshouldberesponsibleand
accountable.ItisalsonotableherethateventheConsumersProtectionAct,1986hasbeenamendedtoprovidecompensationtooppositepartiesincasesof
frivolouscomplaintsmadebyconsumers.Inanyway,PILnowdoesrequireacompleterethinkandrestructuring.Anyway,overuseandabuseofPILcanonly
makeitstaleandineffective.Sinceitisanextraordinaryremedyavailableatacheapercosttoallcitizensofthecountry,itoughtnottobeusedbyalllitigantsas
asubstituteforordinaryonesorasameanstofilefrivolouscomplaints.
MoreArticles:
AllAboutPIL
*Itsoriginandmeaning
*WhatisPIL?
*Concept,Meaning&Definition
*ProcedureforFilingPIL
*AgainstwhomPILcanbefiled
*MechanismforprotectionofHumanRightsthroughPIL
PublicInterestLitigation
PILInDevelopingCountries
ProblemsfacingPublicInterestLitigationinIndia
DevelopmentofpublicInterestLitigation
ProblemsfacingPublicInterestLitigationinIndia
RoleofPILinEnvironmentalProtectionInIndia
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