1. FACULTY OF LAW
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
SUBMITTED BY:
SUBMITTED TO:
ANAMIKABISHNOI
MS. PARUL PAREEK
2. Fundamental rights
a. Fundamental : basic, primary, vital, major
b. Right : interest recognized & protected by law
c. Fundamental right – basic right
d. Enforced by state
e. Derived from natural law
3. Origin of fundamental
rights
• Magnacarta
• Bill of rights
• Francedeclaration of man and thecitizen (1789)
• West Virginiastateboard of education v. barnet (319 US
624 : 87 LED 1928)
4. Need for fundamental
rights
• Basic rightsto beregarded asinviolablein all conditions
• Protection of rightsand liberties
• Limitation upon government
• Potential development of man
• Protection of moral and spiritual life
• “agovernment of law and not of man”
• Fair play and nation building
5. Case law
• ManekaGandhi v. union of India(AIR 1978 SC 597 at p.
619)
a. Representation of basic valuescherished by peoplesince
Vedic times
b.Protection of dignity of individual
c. Balancebetween statepower and individual liberty
6. Balance between individual
liberty and social need
• Absoluteindividual rightscannot exist in modern state
• Unrestricted liberty- licenseto chaos
• Reasonablerestrictionsrequired to main public order
• A.K. Gopalan v. stateof madras(AIR 1950 SC 27)
7. Classification of fundamental
rights
• Right to equality (articles14-18).
• Right to freedom (articles19-22)
• Right against exploitation (articles23-24)
• Right to freedom of religion (articles25-28)
• Cultural and educational rights(articles29-30)
• Right to constitutional remedies(articles32-35)
8. Suspension of fundamental
rights
• Article358
a. During emergency (article352) article19 suspended
b.Suspension removesrestriction on thelegislativeand
executive
c. Statecant bechallenged
9. Fundamental rights available
against state
• Not availableagainst privateindividuals
• Privateaction protected by theordinary law of land
• Sham Dasani v. central bank of India(AIR 1952 SC 59)
10. Doctrine of eclipse
• Based on theprinciple: law which violatesfundamental
rightsisnot nullity or void ab initio
• It isonly unenforceable
• Exist for
a. all past transactions
b.enforcement of rightsand liabilitiesacquired before
commencement of constitution(pre-constitutional law)
c. Determination of rightsof personswho havenot been
given fundamental rightsby constitution
• Bhikaji v. stateof M.P. (AIR 1993 SC 412)
a. Clause6 of article19 amended by theconstitution (1st
Amendment) Act
11. • Deep Chand v. Stateof U.P. (AIR 1959 SC648)
a. post-constitutional law contravening afundamental right – a
nullity from itsinception
b.Doctrinedoesn’t apply to post constitutional law
• MahendraLal Jain v. Stateof U.P. (AIR 1963 SC1019)
a. Agreed with judgment in deep Chand'scase
b.Voidnessof pre-constitutional law not from inception unlike
post-constitutional law
• Stateof Gujarat v. Ambicamills(AIR 1974 SC 1300)
a. Modified itsview
b.Held post constitutional law asnot void ab initio in all cases
c. Such law will becomevoid and null only against citizensand
not non-citizens
12. Doctrine of waiver
• Waivemeansto relinquish
• Doctrineof waiver meansto waiveafundamental right
• Onehasno right to waivehisconstitutional right
• Beshahser nath v. incometax-commissioner (AIR 1959 SC
149)
• Doctrinecannot beapplied in interpreting Indian
constitution
• Fundamentalsrightsarefor thebenefit of general public
not merely for individual benefit
• Itsan obligation upon state, hence, no person can relieve
thestateof thisobligation
