Last week, we published our list of the Top 10 judgements of 2024. Narrowing them down wasn’t easy, so we used a guiding light: impact. Of course, impact is a tricky metric, especially in a system where enforcement data is scarce. Some picks were no-brainers, while others were debated. If you haven't already, read our list on our Analysis page!

This time, we’re sharing an alternate list of five cases that didn’t make the Top 10 but still caught our eye. These are cases hand-picked by members of our team. The subject-matters of these judgements range from the right against climate change to the registration fee for enrolling lawyers and more. Watch our video now and tell us what you think!

What were your favourite judgements from 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

In 1980, a majority of four out of five judges upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty in Bachan Singh v State of Punjab. The sole dissenter was Justice P.N. Bhagwati, who noted the inherent arbitrariness and inhumanity of the death penalty in a detailed opinion.

In the latest article as part of our special series commemorating 75 years of the Court, Shreya Rastogi and Neetika Vishwanath from Project 39A highlight the advances in empirical research on capital punishment since the decision in Bachan Singh. They argue that the reality today proves many of Justice Bhagwati's concerns to be true.

Read it here: https://www.scobserver.in/75-years-of-sc/how-justice-bhagwatis-44-year-old-dissent-mirrors-the-state-of-death-penalty-in-india/

Author Salil Tripathi’s essay in our special series commemorating 75 years of the Supreme Court of India talks about how the courts have approached book bans.

Ostensibly, these bans are in favour of public interest, but more often, they serve the interests of powerful groups—political parties, ruling governments, multinational corporations.

Salil writes that when cases make it to the Supreme Court, it has often upheld the author's freedom of expression. However, the real theatre of the book ban in India is often the bureaucratic office, the city street and the village square.

Read Salil's article now on SCObserver.in!

Have you read the previous stories we’ve put out as part of our SC@75 series? You’ll find in the set a compelling mix of history, pop culture and legal analysis.