GK Question

polity hard true_false

The Supreme Court has held that even during a National Emergency under Article 352, judicial independence as part of basic structure cannot be suspended, meaning courts retain power to review Emergency actions for constitutional compliance.

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Judicial independence during Emergency: (a) Basic structure doctrine: Judicial independence part of basic structure (Kesavananda Bharati, 1973); cannot be destroyed even by constitutional amendment, (b) Application to Emergency: (i) Even during Emergency, courts retain power to review Emergency actions for constitutional compliance, (ii) Judicial review scope: Procedural compliance, relevance to Emergency purposes, constitutional principles compliance, (iii) Courts cannot re-appreciate material, substitute judicial wisdom for Presidential satisfaction, but can examine constitutional compliance, (c) Applications: (i) Post-1978: Courts more willing to examine Emergency actions for constitutional compliance, (ii) Rights protection: Ensures Emergency powers used for genuine crisis response, not rights suppression, (d) Rationale: (i) Constitutional supremacy: Judicial independence preserves constitutional order against arbitrary power, even during crisis, (ii) Rights protection: Judicial review essential for rights protection, even during Emergency, (iii) Democratic legitimacy: Courts ensure Emergency powers used for genuine crisis response, not arbitrary power, (e) Illustrates constitutional resilience: Judicial independence as basic structure ensures Constitution's core identity preserved even during crisis; balance between crisis response capacity and preservation of constitutional democracy.

Topic Article 352 - Emergency and Judicial Independence
Exam Relevance Judicial independence during Emergency critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams