<h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</strong></h1><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h3><strong>Context</strong>&nbsp;</h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Warning against frivolous <strong>Public Interest Litigations (PILs), the Delhi High Court </strong>said courts must carefully consider whether those approaching them with PILs are bona fides or acting out of personal or political motives.</li></ul><h3><strong>Background</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">The seeds of the concept of public interest litigation were initially sown in India by <strong>Justice Krishna Iyer, in 1976 in Mumbai Kamgar Sabha vs. Abdul Thai.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">The first reported <strong>case of PIL was Hussainara Khatoon vs. State of Bihar (1979) </strong>that focused on the inhuman conditions of prisons and under trial prisoners that led to the release of more than 40,000 under trial prisoners.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Right to speedy justice emerged as a basic fundamental right which had been denied to these prisoners. The same set pattern was adopted in subsequent cases.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">A new era of the PIL movement was heralded by <strong>Justice P.N. Bhagawati in the case of S.P. Gupta vs. Union of India.</strong></li><li><strong>About&nbsp;</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">Public interest Litigation (PIL) means litigation filed in a court of law, for the protection of “Public Interest”, such as <strong>Pollution, Terrorism, Road safety, Constructional hazards etc.&nbsp;</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">Any matter where the interest of the public at large is affected can be redressed by filing a Public Interest Litigation in a court of law.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Public interest litigation is not defined in any statute or in any act.&nbsp;</li><li class="ql-indent-2">It has been interpreted by judges to consider the intent of the public at large.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Public interest litigation is the power given to the public by courts through judicial activism.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">It basically broadens the <strong>concept of "locus standi,</strong>" or the right to file a lawsuit or appeal in court.&nbsp;</li><li class="ql-indent-2">The basic goal of PILs is to <strong>defend the fundamental rights</strong> of those who are unable to go to court on their own.</li></ul><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong>PRELIMS NOTES:</strong><a href="https://www.sunyaias.com/subscription-details/prelims-2023-sunya-notes-current-affairs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);"><strong>CLICK HERE</strong></a></h1>