M.C. Mehta cases
Topic: Judiciary: Independence, Structure, Judicial Review and Activism · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The M.C. Mehta cases are a series of environmental cases filed by lawyer M.C. Mehta as public interest litigation (PIL), which means cases filed for a public cause. In them the Supreme Court dealt with industrial disasters, river pollution, threats to monuments and city air. They made the Court a major force in protecting the environment and the right to life under Art. 21.
Example
In the oleum gas leak case (1987), the Court laid down absolute liability. Under this rule, a firm doing hazardous work must pay fully for any harm it causes, with no excuses allowed, and the payment grows with the firm's size. Other M.C. Mehta cases covered Ganga pollution, the Taj Trapezium and Delhi's air, including the order moving Delhi's buses to CNG.
Don't confuse with
- Strict liability: this older rule makes a firm liable but allows some exceptions. Absolute liability allows none.