Article 21 - The Code of Life, Liberty and Dignity in the Indian Constitution

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Description
In any democracy, it is the duty of the government to adopt appropriate measures to safeguard life by making laws to protect the lives of the country's citizens. Article 21 of the Constitution of India thus embodies a value of supreme importance. Couched in negative language, the article states that no one shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law. From static, mechanical and purely literal interpretation of the article in Gopalan characterised as a high water mark of legal positivism' in 1950, there has been a transformation in the attitude of the apex court towards the protection of life and liberty especially after Maneka in 1978. Article 21, now regarded as the core of fundamental rights, has become a source of many substantive rights for the people. Article 21 is a detailed discussion of the evolution of various facets of the eponymous article over the last 70 years.
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Contents
Chapter 1    Constitution: A Charter of Rights
Chapter 2    Concepts of 'Life', 'Liberty' and 'Freedom'
Chapter 3    Right to Life and Personal Liberty in India
Chapter 4    Right to Life and Article 21
Chapter 5    Criminal Justice Administration and Article 21
Chapter 6    Prisoners' Rights and Article 21
Chapter 7    Right to Human Dignity and Article 21
Chapter 8    Environment Protection and Article 21
Chapter 9    Rights of Women and Children and Article 21
Chapter 10  Right to Personal liberty and Article 21
Chapter 11   Right to Privacy and Article 21
Chapter 12  Compensation or Violation of Article 21
Chapter 13  Emergency and Article 21
Chapter 14  Facets of Life and Liberty: a Round Up
Index
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Author Details
S. SIVAKUMAR teaches at the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. A full-time Member of the 21st Law Commission of India, he is the Vice President and Trustee of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA). He has served prestigious institutions including NUJS, Kolkata, and HNLU, Raipur. Prof. Sivakumar is a prolific writer and the recipient of the National Law Day Award, 2008, for his contribution to legal education reforms. His notable books include Press Law and Journalists: Watchdog to Guidedog. Broadcasting Reproduction Right in India: Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Issues; and Magna Carta and Human Rights: The Legacy of 800+ Years. Prof. Sivakumar is Chairman of the Commonwealth Law Reform Commission (CLRC) and Honorary Chairman of the Commonwealth Institute for Justice Education and Research (CIJER). He occupies responsible positions in an assortment of national and international organisations and statutory and professional bodies of universities across the country.
G. KAMESWARI, Director, Commonwealth Institute for Justice Education and Research at Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida, has more than 25 years of experience in law teaching and research. She has worked in various capacities in Osmania University, Telangana - as Principal, University College of Law, and Head, Department of Law - and was a Professor at Mody University, Rajasthan. She has worked as Professor in premier institutions such as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, and Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Prof. Kameswari was the Coordinator for Law in l training programmes for civil service officers at the Dr. M. Chenna Reddy Human Resources Development Institute of Andhra Pradesh. The author of Anticorruption Strategies, she has published articles in reputed journals and presented papers in various seminars and conferences.
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