Landmark Judgments Law Entrance Aspirants Should Know

Written and reviewed by Shubham Jain, BA LL.B., LL.M. · UILS, Panjab University alumnus · founder with 15+ years of teaching · Jury Law Academy, founded in 2016.

Sep 20, 2026

Quick answer: Learn the principle each landmark case established rather than full facts. Basic structure, Article 21 expansion, privacy, equality and recent constitution bench decisions cover most of what law entrance papers reference.

Constitutional foundations

  • Kesavananda Bharati (1973) — Parliament cannot alter the basic structure of the Constitution.
  • Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) — applied the basic structure doctrine to an amendment.
  • Minerva Mills (1980) — balance between fundamental rights and directive principles is part of the basic structure.
  • S. R. Bommai (1994) — judicial review of President's rule under Article 356.

Article 21 and personal liberty

  • A. K. Gopalan (1950) — early narrow reading of personal liberty.
  • Maneka Gandhi (1978) — procedure under Article 21 must be fair, just and reasonable.
  • Puttaswamy (2017) — privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21.

Equality and social justice

  • Indra Sawhney (1992) — reservation principles and the ceiling discussion.
  • Vishaka (1997) — guidelines against sexual harassment at the workplace.
  • Shayara Bano (2017) — instant triple talaq held invalid.

Access to justice and environment

  • Hussainara Khatoon (1979) — speedy trial as part of Article 21.
  • M. C. Mehta line of cases — absolute liability and environmental protection.
  • Olga Tellis (1985) — right to livelihood as part of the right to life.

How to revise

Make a single sheet: case name, year, one-line principle. Revise weekly. Add new constitution bench decisions as they are reported and verify texts on the official Supreme Court of India website.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which judgments are most asked in law entrance exams?

Cases establishing the basic structure doctrine, the scope of Article 21, privacy, and equality principles are referenced most often, along with recent constitution bench decisions.

Do I need case facts in detail?

No. The principle established and the year are usually enough, with brief facts for the most famous cases.

How do I track recent judgments?

Through daily newspaper legal pages and the official Supreme Court website for judgment texts.

Are judgments asked in passage form?

Frequently. Passage-based papers often build a legal passage around a recent decision.