Judicial Activism - M Lakshmikanth Summary UPSC notes

Judicial Activism 📌 Judicial Activism – Basic Idea Where it began? It started in the USA . The word “Judicial Activism” was first used in 1947 by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. , a historian. When it came to India? Around 1970s . Judges like Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer , Justice P.N. Bhagwati , Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy , and Justice D.A. Desai were important in starting this idea in India. 📌 What is Judicial Activism? Meaning in Simple Words: Judicial activism means that the judges (courts) take an active role in making sure: People’s rights are protected. Justice is done properly. The government (both legislative and executive ) is doing its constitutional duty . It is also called "judicial dynamism" (active role). It is opposite of “judicial restraint” , where courts stay quiet or passive , even if they notice something wrong. ✅ Example of Judicial Activism: Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) 🟢 What happened? A woman named Bhanwari Devi , a social worker in Rajasthan, was gang-raped while trying to stop …