8ole of courLs ln lmplemenLlng envlronmenLal laws

Here attempt would be made to study how the judiciary has been playing
its vital role in the implementation oI environmental laws and evolving
legal principles to protect environmental pollution as natural and
Iundamental human rights in contemporary legal order.
Recently, the Supreme Court has emphasized the need to strengthen
institutional machinery both at the centre and at the state to enIorce
environmental law. In various cases Supreme Court suggested remedial
measures to strengthen the environmental protection machinery by
providing more teeth and by making head oI law enIorcing agencies
personally accountable Ior any lapse or negligence. The court also
suggested to set up an environmental audit by specialist bodies on a
permanent basis with powers to inspect, check and take necessary
actions not only against erring oIIicers. Similarly court has given various
directions in considerations oI environmental aspects such as
categorization oI industries, balancing oI development and ecology, the
liability oI government and local authorities to maintain healthy
atmosphere which is regarded as Iundamental right to liIe as contained
in Article 21 oI the constitution.However,despite degradation oI
environment continues. With this end in view let us look into various
judicial decisions to study the role played by our judiciary to implement
environmental laws.
1. evelopmental v/s Environmental issues
2. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in implementing environmental
laws;
9rlnclples of law developlng by Lhe Plgh CourLs and Supreme
CourL ln lmplemenLlng envlronmenLal laws
8ole of lower [udlclary ln lmplemenLlng envlronmenLal laws



1evelopmenLal v/s LnvlronmenLal lssues

1he conLroversy regardlng deslrablllLy of dlssolvlng envlronmenLal
dlspuLe ln Lhe courL lnsLead of Lrlbunals ls a maLLer of greaL publlc
debaLe Cn one hand Lhe crlLlcs argued LhaL Lhe subsLanLlve revlew of
maLhemaLlcal and sclenLlflc evldence of Lechnlcal maLLers [udges ls
unrellable and Lherefore we should concenLraLe our efforLs on
admlnlsLraLlve ad[udlcaLlon 1he courLs are frequenLly called upon Lo
declde cases where evldence of Lechnlcal experLs ls cruclal Lo Lhe
ouLcome
ln developlng counLry Lhere shall have Lo be developmenLs buL LhaL
developmenLs shall have Lo be ln Lhe closesL posslble harmony wlLh Lhe
envlronmenL as oLherwlse Lhere would be developmenL buL no
envlronmenL whlch would resulL ln LoLal devasLaLlon however Lo
conLrol and lmprove Lhe envlronmenL1o check and conLrol Lhe
degradaLlon of Lhe envlronmenL and slnce Lhe law courLs also have a
duLy Lowards Lhe socleLy for lLs proper growLh and furLher
developmenL and more so by reason of deflnlLe leglslaLlons ln regard
LhereLo as noLed hereln afLerlL ls plaln exerclse of Lhe [udlclal power Lo
see LhaL Lhere ls no much degradaLlon of socleLy Lhere oughL noL be any
heslLaLlon ln regard LhereLo sLoppage of developmenLal
programmeLhere shall have Lo be balance beLween Lhe developmenL
and envlronmenL so LhaL boLh can coexlsL wlLhouL effecLlng Lhe oLher
1here are lndeed wlde range of physlcal blologlcal and manmade
componenLs LhaL lnLeracL ln bulldlng up an envlronmenL
LnvlronmenLal condlLlons geLs subsLanLlally lnfluenced by local facLors
llke food droughL land subsldence and llke feaLure llke lnLenslve
explolLaLlon of naLural resources eg mlnlng deforesLaLlon Some
posslble soluLlon Lowards meeLlng challenges of naLure may also sLruck
whlch may brlng a slgnlflcanL change for Lhe beLLer


29ubllc lnLeresL LlLlgaLlon (9lL)

8ackground
9rlor Lo 1980's Lhere were no 9lL buL a sysLem of 'represenLaLlon' or
'Class' sulL recognlzed under Crder 1 8ule 8 of Lhe code of clvll
procedure of 19808ule 8 of Crder 1 of Lhe Code of Clvll procedures as
lL sLands afLer Lhe codes 1976 amendmenLprescrlbes Lhe followlng
condlLlons for a represenLaLlve acLlon
11haL Lhe class be numerous
21haL members of Lhe class have Lhe same lnLeresL ln Lhe sulL
1haL Lhe courL permlL a few person Lo sue or Lo be sued on behalf
of Lhe enLlre class
1haL courL lssues noLlce of Lhe sulL Lo all persons havlng Lhe same
lnLeresLand
JheLher Lhe same person clalmlng Lo consLlLuLe a class havlng
Lhe same lnLeresL" ln Lhe sulL
JhaL ls Lhe purpose of class sulLs? Cne purpose ls Lo provlde an
economlcal and convenlenL forum for dlsposlng of slmllar law sulLs
Also class sulLs are [usLlfled on Lhe ground of falrness All members of
class are LreaLed equally and lf Lhey are successful as pllanLlffs Lhey
share ln Lhe recovery MosL lmporLanL a degree passed ln a
represenLaLlve sulL blnds all members of Lhe class
CharacLerlsLlcs of 9lL has followlng feaLures
11he peLlLlon seeks Lo champlon a publlc course for Lhe beneflL of
all socleLles and noL Lhe lndlvldual lnLeresL
29lL ls Lhe llLlgaLlon agalnsL Lhe vlolaLlon of human rlghLs of poor
and helpless or abouL Lhe conducL of governmenL ln dlscharge of
publlc duLy
LlLlgaLlon ls noL sLrlcLly adversarlal Lhe scope of Lhe conLroversy ls
flexlble
ln 9lL Lhe parLles and agencles may be [olned and even
subsLlLuLed as Lhe llLlgaLlon progresses and Lhls lssue emerges Lo
domlnaLe Lhe sulL
ln 9lL Lhe peLlLloner seeks Lo prevenL an egreglous sLaLe of affalrs
or an llleglLlmaLe pollcy Lo conLlnue
6ln 9lL Lhe rellef soughL ls correcLlve raLher compensaLory
79lL AS A 98CS9LC1lvL !ulClAL 8LLlLl lM9LlLS CCn1lnulnC
!ulClAL lnvCLvLMLn1
81he rellef ln 9lL ls ofLen dlrecLed agalnsL governmenL pollcles and
hence lL may have lmpacL LhaL exLends far beyond Lhe parLles
99lL suggesLs acLlvlsL [udge raLher Lhan passlve [udge
lrom Lhls analysls lL may be sald LhaL Lhe new people orlenLed or
soclal orlenLed [usLlce concepL has been fully uLlllzed by Supreme
CourL and gradually by Lhe Plgh CourL ln lndla1he 9lL cases open
an opporLunlLy Lo lnLerfere beLween Lhe varlous agencles for
envlronmenLallsL Lhe polluLlon conLrol board8ecause 9lL glves
Lhe opporLunlLy Lo Lhe courL Lo proceed ln each case as lL deems
flL so gradually Lhe lmplemenLlng agencles are prefferlng 9lL
peLlLlon raLher Lhan flllng prosecuLlon under Lhe ordlnary courL
sysLem agalnsL Lhe polluLers


9rlnclples of Law Lmerged ln lmplemenLlng
LnvlronmenLal Law

LnvlronmenLal laws unlLs ln Lhe sLrlcL sense ls a new leglslaLlve
acLlvlLy lnvolvlng many complex aspecLs of Lechnlcal knowledge
procedural dlfflculLles socloeconomlc problems and above all
dlfferenL compromlse beLween envlronmenL polluLlon and
developmenL Cur Supreme CourL and varlous Plgh CourLs ln
deallng wlLh problems of lmplemenLlng envlronmenLal laws
evolved many prlnclples of law Lowards lmplemenLaLlon of
envlronmenLal leglslaLlon lollowlng are varlous prlnclples
evolved by courLs ln subsLanLlve and procedural aspecLs

(l) SubsLanLlve AspecLs
(a)8egardlng Lhls Lhe prlnclple of lnLerpreLaLlon emerged ls
LhaL Lhe courL shall noL creaLe new obllgaLlon and new
manner or meLhod of enforcemenL of laws where Lhe
leglslaLure prescrlbed speclal provlslon Lo Lhls effecL
(b) Speclfled lndusLry under Lhe JaLer (prevenLlon and
conLrol of polluLlon) Cess AcL 197 does noL lnclude
Lourlsm corporaLlon drawlng waLer for lLs own
consumpLlon and supplylng Lhe same Lo Lhe person
comlng or sLaylng ln lLs complexes
(c)A ML8L CCnl1lCnAL CCnSLn1 C8L8 unL8 1PL
JaLer Cess AcL does noL enLlLle Lhe lncumbenL Lo
dlscharge Lhe Lrade effluenLs
(d) ln lndla Lhere ls noL speclflc and elaboraLe law on nolse
polluLlon 1he CalcuLLa Plgh CourL held LhaL under ArLlcle
21 of consLlLuLlon read wlLh ArLlcle 19(1)(g) a clLlzen of
lndla can noL be made capLlve llsLeners Lo bear Lhe
Lremendous sound caused by flre works or by
mlcrophone 1he courL furLher held LhaL Lhe [udges are
consLanLly Lo mould new prlnclples Lo meeL Lhe needs of
Lhe presenL where exlsLlng law ls uncerLaln or does noL
cover Lhe slLuaLlons LhaL may arlse due Lo lL

(ll) 9rocedural AspevLs As regards procedures aspecLs ln Lhe
lmplemenLaLlon of envlronmenLal laws varlous procedural
dlspuLes are ralslng before Lhe courL from Llmr Lo
Llmelollowlng are some prlnclples developed by Lhe courL
(a)Cn Lhe procedural quesLlon relaLlng Lo proceedlng under
secLlon of Lhe AcL are crlmlnal ln naLure and once Lhe
complalnL was dlsmlssed as no body appeared on behalf
of Lhe complalnLLhe complalnanL cannoL be resLored or
revlewed under order 9 of Lhe C9C
(b) As regards quesLlon of appllcaLlon of prlnclples of a
naLural !usLlce ln exerclse of power by admlnlsLraLlve
auLhorlLles Lhe agency lmplemenLlng envlronmenLal
leglslaLlon shall follow Lhe prlnclples of naLural !usLlce
(c)1he dlscreLlonary power of Lhe Member SecreLary of a
8oard as provlded under SecLlon 1A of JaLer AcL
lncludes Lo lssue any dlrecLlon buL LhaL dlrecLlon musL be
wlLhln Lhe [urlsdlcLlon or area where Lhe AcL has been
declared as enforced
(d) Cn Lhe queaLlon of 'who can flle a complalnL' under
SecLlon 9 of Lhe JaLer AcL regardlng Laklng cognlzance
by a crlmlnal courL 1he Allahabad Plgh CourL held LhaL an
AsslsLanL LnvlronmenLal Lnglneer of a 8oard or any oLher
offlcer may flle a complalnL and slgned Lhe complalnL as
auLhorlzed by Lhe 8oard

8ole Cf Lower !udlclary

Lower [udlclary ls prlmarlly vesLed [usrlsdlcLlon Lo Lry cases under
envlronmenLal lawsfollowlng are Lhe roles and areas of lower [udlclary
(l) As regards publlc nulsance Lhe lower courL has enough power
under secLlon 1 Cr9C and 91 of C9C 1he supreme courL has
revlLallzed Lhls dormanL provlslon8uL Lhls power shall noL be
comblned wlLh JaLer AcL or Alr AcL
(ll) 1he dlsposal of cases ln lower [udlclary revealed LhaL Lhere are
hardly any [udgemenL dellvered by a lower courL durlng lasL
LwenLy years ln JesL 8engal