procedureEnglish origin
Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
Litigation filed by a public-spirited citizen on behalf of the public interest � to enforce rights of the underprivileged.
Full Definition
PIL allows any public-spirited person to bring matters of public concern before the court without personal interest. It emerged in India in the late 1970s as a social justice tool � enabling courts to hear cases on behalf of marginalised groups.
In Indian Law
Pioneered by Justices P.N. Bhagwati and V.R. Krishna Iyer. Filed before the Supreme Court under Article 32 or High Courts under Article 226. Landmark PILs: Hussainara Khatoon (1979), Vishaka v. Rajasthan (1997), MC Mehta environmental cases.
Landmark Cases
Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979) � PIL for undertrial rights