Basics
- The concept of judicial activism originated and developed in the USA.
- This term was first coined in 1947 by Arthur Schlesinger Jr., an American historian and educator.
- In India, the doctrine of judicial activism was introduced in mid1970s.
- Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy and Justice D.A. Desai laid the foundations of judicial activism in the country.
What is it?
- Judicial activism denotes the proactive role played by the judiciary in the protection of the rights of citizens and in the promotion of justice in the society.
- The concept of judicial activism is closely related to the concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
- It is the judicial activism of the Supreme Court which is the major factor for the rise of PIL.