Land acquisition in India: a review of Supreme Court cases (1950-2016)
This innovative and important study contributes to a deeper understanding of several important questions. It is a contribution to an understanding of how disputes over land are actually adjudicated in the Supreme Court. What issues are being litigated? What issues are at stake? Are there any discernible patterns in the nature of litigation? By asking these questions, this Report helps build an empirically grounded and nuanced understanding of the operational laws related to land acquisition in India. The Report is also an important contribution to an understanding of courts and the rule of law. Most of the debates in this area focus on statutes, doctrines or individual judgments. This study takes a statistical look at what Courts actually do. In doing so it allows us to understand the evolution of law more deeply. Finally, although this is not the main aim of the study, the analysis of land judgments also provides a lot of insight into the relationship between law and society more generally. Which states produce more litigation in the area of land? Why do court orders often not translate into reform of administrative practices? In reading this report you will encounter many new questions.