Climate Justice: 75 Years of Supreme Court | 75 Judgments that Built Climate Jurisprudence in India

Climate Justice: 75 Years of Supreme Court - 75 Judgments that Built Climate Jurisprudence in India is more than a legal compendium; it is a journey through seventy-five carefully selected judgments that reveal the evolution of India's environmental consciousness.

Across seventy-five years of India's independence, the judiciary has transformed the landscape of environmental protection, moving it from the periphery of governance to the very heart of constitutional responsibility. In this landmark work, leading environmental lawyer Sudhir Mishra, who served as Amicus Curiae before the Supreme Court of India in carbon-emission matters, traces a constitutional narrative of how Indian courts have responded to the urgent cries of a weary planet.

From the widening of Article 21 to include the right to dignity and a healthy environment, to the recognition of rivers and forests as a sacred public trust, these decisions demonstrate that the Constitution is a living instrument capable of safeguarding both present and future generations. The book traces the constitutional evolution through insights into how landmark cases like Maneka Gandhi and M.C. Mehta shifted the law from a posture of dominion to one of stewardship. It highlights the judicial efforts to protect the ancient rhythms of the land, from the Great Indian Bustard to the migration corridors of tigers and elephants, towards achieving ecological balance.

The author has used the symbolic voice of the sparrow as a gentle conscience that sits beside each judgment to reflect on what we must remember and protect in our environment.

Reviews

A must read for the climate practitioners, policy makers and students to secure climate justice in decades forward for future generations.

- Dr. Lalit Bhasin
President, Society of Indian Law Firms, Former President, Bar Association of India

A distinguished environmental lawyer presents a compelling account of India's climate jurisprudence, highlighting its global leadership in shaping climate justice.

- Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar
Founding Vice-Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University & Dean, Jindal Global Law School

Climate justice demands action now, because a liveable future is not a privilege - it is a right.

- I. Bobby Majumder
Partner and Head of India Desk, Frost Brown Todd LLP, Dallas, Texas, United States

Sudhir Mishra distills India's evolving climate jurisprudence with clarity and authority.

- Mohammad Khalid Sayeed Pasha
Protected, Conserved and Heritage Areas, IUCN Asia Regional Head, Bangkok, Thailand

India's climate jurisprudence, an essential reference and powerful guide for shaping the future of climate justice.

- Prof. Sabu Padmadas
University of Southampton, UK

About the Author:

Mr. Sudhir Mishra is a leading disputes and climate change lawyer and a Door Tenant at No.5 Barristers' Chambers, UK. He has served as Amicus Curiae in Ridhima Pandey v. Union of India, before the Supreme Court of India, and had also been engaged by the Supreme Court's Central Public Works Department to argue an IA in Bhavreen Kandhari v. Shri C D Singh & Ors. for the expansion of the Supreme Court infrastructure, before the Delhi High Court. He has been honoured at the House of Lords with the first-ever 'Guardians of Sustainability Award' as well as the 'Environmental Lawyer of the Year Award 2022', and is also a recipient of the US Government's International Visitors Leadership Programme (2005). He has been featured in the Forbes Legal Power List and has been consistently ranked among India's top 100 lawyers by the Indian Business Law Journal in 2023. He chairs leading ESG and climate change initiatives and has represented major corporations, including Adani, Tata Consultancy Services, Hyundai, and Tetra Pak. He has conducted 400+ workshops across 300 protected areas so far and has handled 120+ environmental cases.