New Delhi, March 4: Supreme Court Justice BV Nagarathna recently raised alarms about the growing misuse of public interest litigations (PILs), a legal mechanism that was originally designed to protect the interests of the marginalized.
Justice Nagarathna noted that the tool, once intended to empower the disadvantaged, is now being exploited by individuals seeking personal or financial gains.
She emphasized that PILs have increasingly become avenues for "paisa interest litigation" or "publicity interest litigation," straying far from their original purpose of ensuring justice for the public. Justice Nagarathna stressed the urgent need to restore the true spirit of PILs, advocating for their use in genuine social action cases.
These remarks were made during the launch of the book Law, Justice, Society: Selected Works of Upendra Baxi, where Justice Nagarathna highlighted Professor Baxi's influential contributions to PIL theory. She acknowledged Baxi’s work, which has long championed the view of the constitution as a tool for advancing justice and societal well-being.
Describing PILs as a "virtuous weapon" designed to support the underprivileged, Justice Nagarathna warned that their integrity is being compromised by misuse. "Unfortunately, PILs are sometimes reduced to 'paisa interest litigation,' 'publicity interest litigation,' or 'private interest litigation,'" she concluded.
