The Judiciary — Class 8 Social Science (Samacheer Kalvi)
TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 Social Science, Civics — Chapter 7. The courts that deliver justice and guard the Constitution.
1. About this lesson
This lesson explains why we need a judiciary, the structure of courts in India, the role of the Supreme Court, and special features like PIL and Lok Adalats.
2. Why we need a judicial system
The judiciary:
- administers justice and settles disputes — between citizens, between a citizen and the government, and between two state governments,
- interprets the laws,
- protects Fundamental Rights, and
- acts as the guardian of the Constitution.
3. Structure of the courts
India has a single, integrated three-tier court system:
| Level | Court |
|---|---|
| Highest | the Supreme Court (at New Delhi) — the highest and final court |
| State | the High Courts (e.g. Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh share a common High Court) |
| District / local | the subordinate and district courts |
4. The Supreme Court and its powers
- The Supreme Court is the highest and final judicial tribunal of India.
- Under its original jurisdiction, disputes between states come directly to it.
- Judicial review lets the courts examine whether a law is constitutional.
- Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — introduced in India by the Supreme Court — lets any citizen approach the court for a matter of public interest.
5. Lok Adalat
- A Lok Adalat ("people's court") provides speedy and cheap justice; it settles disputes in the language of the people, presided over by a retired judge with a lawyer and a social worker.
6. Worked examples
Example 1. Which is the highest court in India? The Supreme Court (at New Delhi).
Example 2. Under what jurisdiction do disputes between states reach the Supreme Court? Original jurisdiction.
Example 3. Who introduced Public Interest Litigation in India? The Supreme Court.
7. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)
I. Choose the correct answer
- The highest and final judicial tribunal of India is the — (a) Supreme Court / (b) High Court. Ans: (a) Supreme Court.
- The Supreme Court is located at — (a) New Delhi / (b) Mumbai. Ans: (a) New Delhi.
- Disputes between states come to the Supreme Court under — (a) original jurisdiction / (b) appellate jurisdiction. Ans: (a) original jurisdiction.
- A common High Court is shared by — (a) Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh / (b) Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Ans: (a) Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
- Public Interest Litigation was introduced by the — (a) Supreme Court / (b) Parliament. Ans: (a) Supreme Court.
II. Fill in the blanks 6. The judiciary acts as the guardian of the Constitution. 7. A Lok Adalat provides speedy and inexpensive justice. 8. The power of courts to examine whether a law is constitutional is judicial review.
III. Answer briefly 9. Why do we need a judicial system? 10. What is a Lok Adalat?
8. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Calling the High Court the highest court. Fix: The Supreme Court is the highest and final court; the High Court is the highest state court.
- Mistake: Thinking PIL was created by Parliament. Fix: PIL was introduced by the Supreme Court.
- Mistake: Confusing original and appellate jurisdiction. Fix: Original = cases heard first (e.g. state disputes); appellate = appeals from lower courts.
9. Quick revision
- Civics Ch 7 · the judiciary.
- Judiciary administers justice, settles disputes, interprets law, protects rights, guards the Constitution.
- Three tiers: Supreme Court (New Delhi, highest) → High Courts → subordinate/district courts.
- Supreme Court: original jurisdiction (state disputes), judicial review; PIL introduced by it.
- Lok Adalat = speedy, cheap, people's-language justice (retired judge + lawyer + social worker).
