In the landmark case of L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India and Others (1997), a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India conclusively held that the power of judicial review vested in the High Courts under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution, along with the Supreme Court's power under Article 32, forms a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India.
The Court struck down the provisions in the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, and Articles 323A and 323B of the Constitution (to the extent they excluded the jurisdiction of High Courts), which had previously allowed appeals from administrative tribunals to go directly to the Supreme Court, bypassing the High Courts. The judgment mandated that all decisions of tribunals would be subject to scrutiny before a Division Bench of the High Court under Articles 226/227, thereby restoring the High Courts' supervisory and judicial review role over these tribunals.
