Answer: 

Introduction:

The I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007), is a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India that significantly reinforced the doctrine of the basic structure of the Constitution and the importance of judicial review.

Body:

• In the Coelho case, the Supreme Court held that any law placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides a protective shield against judicial scrutiny, is not immune from judicial review if it violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
• The Ninth Schedule was initially created by the First Amendment in 1951 to protect land reform laws from being challenged in court. Over time, however, it was increasingly used to shield various laws from judicial review.
• The Coelho judgment asserted that even if a law is placed in the Ninth Schedule, it would still be subject to judicial review if it infringes upon the basic structure of the Constitution. This decision effectively limited the power of Parliament to insulate laws from judicial scrutiny.
• In this context, the Coelho case highlights the significance of judicial review as a key component of the basic features of the Constitution.
  • Judicial review is the power of the courts to examine the actions of the legislature, executive, and administrative agencies to determine their constitutionality. It serves as a crucial check on the powers of other branches of government and ensures that laws and actions do not violate fundamental constitutional principles.
  • The basic structure doctrine, first established in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), lists several features of the Constitution that cannot be altered or removed even by a constitutional amendment.
    • Judicial review is considered one of these essential features, as it upholds the principles of separation of powers, rule of law, and protection of fundamental rights.

Conclusion:

The Coelho case underscores the importance of judicial review as a key element of the basic features of the Constitution. By asserting the supremacy of the basic structure doctrine over the Ninth Schedule and limiting the power of Parliament to shield laws from scrutiny, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the crucial role of judicial review in upholding constitutional values and principles.

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