➖Public Interest Litigation (PIL)

🔹About Public Interest Litigation
⭐️Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a legal mechanism that allows any citizen to approach the courts for redressal of public grievances and protection of public interest.
⭐️PIL enables the judiciary to protect and enforce fundamental rights of those who are unable to approach the courts directly due to poverty, ignorance, or social disabilities.
⭐️The concept was introduced by Justice P.N. Bhagwati in the 1980s to make justice accessible to the common man and to ensure that the legal system serves the cause of social justice.
⭐️PIL can be filed by any public-spirited citizen even if they are not directly affected by the matter, provided it relates to a genuine public cause.

🔹What are the Legal Provisions Related to PIL ?
⭐️ Article 32 of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights.
⭐️Article 226 empowers High Courts to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and other legal rights.
⭐️Order I Rule 8 of the Civil Procedure Code allows representative suits in certain circumstances.
⭐️Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 empowers magistrates to remove public nuisances.
⭐️Courts have inherent powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (now Section 582 of BNSS 2023) to prevent abuse of legal process.

🔹In Case Balco Employees Union (Regd.) v. Union of India, 2001 SC
The Supreme Court cautioned against the misuse of Public Interest Litigation, noting it was increasingly being used as "publicity" or "private" interest litigation.
The Court clarified that PIL was intended to protect the rights of the poor and disadvantaged who couldn't access justice, and stressed the need to redefine its permissible limits to prevent abuse....