10 Judgements That Changed India
Who was Shah Bano, and what did her alimony case reveal about the fault lines running through Indian secularism? Does the constitutional right to life stretch far enough to cover a person's livelihood or roof over their head? And if the law protects the right to live, can it also honour a wish to die? These are the kinds of questions that sit at the heart of this absorbing book, which traces ten Supreme Court rulings that have quietly, and sometimes dramatically, reshaped the fabric of Indian democracy. From Bhanwari Devi's harrowing case, which helped establish legal definitions of workplace sexual harassment, to verdicts touching on custodial deaths, reservation policies, and environmental law, the book covers ground that is both historically significant and urgently relevant. Zia Mody, one of the country's most widely respected legal minds, does something genuinely useful here: she places each judgement in its social and political context, unpacks the legal reasoning without drowning readers in jargon, and traces the ripple effects each ruling sent through ordinary Indian life. It's rigorous without being dry, and thoughtful without being preachy. Whether you're a law student, a policy enthusiast, or simply a curious citizen trying to understand how courts shape the world you live in, this book offers a clear, intelligent window into the principles underpinning one of the world's largest democracies.
- Author: Zia Mody
- Publisher: Shobhaa De Books
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- ISBN: 978-0670086627
- Pages: 256 pages