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A. INTRODUCTORY
In :in~ country, the Judici~ry plays the impo~~nt role of interpreting and applying the Jaw and
'r;i;iic r g upon c.on1ro~ers1es between ~ne ~1t1zen and another and between a citizen and the
c It3 j,1111hc tunc1ion ~1 the cou1ts to marntarn r~le of law in the country and to assure that the
,anmcnt rum, according to law. In a country with a written constitution courts have the addi-
iUI runi.:lion of s~fcguarding ti~~ sup~en:iacy of the .constitution by interp~eting and applying its
p-;tni~1un, and keeping all authonties within the constitutional framework. __
In :i federation. the Judiciary has another meaningful assignment, namely, to decide controver-
es berwccn the constituent States inter se, as well as between the Centre and the States. A Federal
Guwmment is :i legalistic government, 1 a characteristic feature of which is the allocation of powers
bdv.ccn the Centre and the States. Disputes usually arise between the Centre and the constituent
.nit- relating to distribution of powers and functions between them. An arbiter is, therefore, re-
quuetl to ~crutinize laws to see whether they fall within the allotted legislative domain of the enact-
g legi~lature and this function is usually left to the Judiciary.
In India. in addition to the above, the judiciary also has the significant function of protecting and
c:forcmg the Fundamental Rights of the people guaranteed to them by ~e Constitution. JUSTICE
l ,TI\AUA has compared the Judiciary to "a watching tower above all the big structures of the other
l?!lh\ of the ~late" from which it keeps a watch like a sentinel on the funct10ns of t~e ~ther hmbs of
6c state ~ to whether they are working in accordance with the law and the Const1tut1on, the Con-
2 3
llUllon bdng supreme''.
Ind~ ha\ a unified Judicial system with the Supreme Court standi_ng at the apex. There are
t;oon,
below the Supreme Court, under each High_Court there.exists a s_ystem of subordinate
reme Court thus enjoys the topmos t pos1t10n m th~ Judicial h1erarc~y of the coun-
interpreter of the Constitution' and the guardian of the people s Fundamental
e court of appeal in all civil a nd cnmmal matters and the final interpreter of
us helps in maintaining a untform1ty of law throughout the country.

titution, Ch. III, 175 ( J956). Also, M .P. JAIN, Role of Judiciary in a De-
~1:,:11timar/a/ Sherh, AIR 1977 SC 2328 : (1977) 4 SCC l 93; see, infra,

t does not exercise administrative control over the High Courts.