In what way can Public Interest Litigation help the poor?

A person whose rights have been violated or who is involved in a dispute, can approach the court or he could move to the court of law. But since 1979, the court has changed the trend for the poor when it decided to hear a case was filed not by the aggrieved persons but by others on their behalf. The case involved an important issue of public interest. For the betterment of life conditions of the poor, the voluntary organisations sought judicial intervention for protection of existing rights of the poor.

Protection of the environment, bonded labourers, prohibition of traffic in women, acquisition of cycle rickshaws by licensed rickshaw pullers and other grievances of the weaker sections, reliefs for undertrial prisoners in jails, etc. have been given due importance. Public Interest Litigation has become too much important vehicle of judicial activism.

The chief instrument through which judicial activism has flourished in India is Public Interest Litigation or Social Action Litigation. Many prisoners in Bihar who had spent long years in jail were released after the Supreme Court heard that case which was filed by an advocate. It must be remembered that the problems of the poor are qualitatively different. And these problems can be solved by the intervention of the Supreme Court after filing the PIL or Public Interest Litigation.