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WRITOFMANDAMUS:ABRIEFANALYSIS
PostedbyRKumaronMonday,28November2011inLegalEraBlogs
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WRITOFMANDAMUS:ABRIEFANALYSIS
Let me at the outset begin by specifying that various writs have been enumerated in the

STUDENTCORNER

Constitution as an effective remedy tool for the proper enforcement of fundamental rights under
Articles32and226oftheConstitution.RegardingArticle32,DrBRAmbedkarhimselfsaid:IfI

The Problem Of Honouring

was asked to name any particular Article in this Constitution as the most important an Article

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withoutwhichthisConstitutionwouldbeanullityIcouldnotrefertoanyotherArticleexceptthis

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one . It is the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it . No learned or educated

Pushpalatha VS. Padma A

personwilleverevendreamtoquestionwhatDrBRAmbedkarwhoisalsothefoundingfatherofthe

Decriminalising Attempt to

ConstitutionsaidaboutArticle32.IdontfeelthatanypersoncanunderstandourConstitutionbetter
than Dr BR Ambedkar who himself played the most vital role in enacting it after many years of
relentless,strenuouseffortsalongwithothermakersofourConstitution.

BLOGCALENDAR

Clause ( 2 ) of Article 32 postulates that the Supreme Court shall have power to issue directions or

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orders or writs , including writs in the nature of habeas corpus , mandamus , prohibition , quo
warranto and certiorari , whichever may be appropriate , for the enforcement of any of the rights
conferredbyPartIIIoftheConstitution.SimilarlyClause ( 1 ) of Article 226 empowers all the High
CourtstoissuethewritsfortheenforcementoffundamentalrightsinthesamemannerasClause(2)
of Article 32 empowers the Supreme Court . However , what specially distinguishes Article 226
empowers all the High Courts to issue writs also for any other purpose in addition to those stated
above.
The term mandamus literally means the order . The writ of mandamus is a command issued by
eithertheSupremeCourtorHighCourttoapublicauthoritydirectingthemtoperformapublicduty

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ortorefrainfromdoingillegalact.DDBasuinPage553ofhisbookShorterConstitutionofIndia
wrotethat,Mandamusisacommandissued to direct any person , corporation , inferior court or
governmentrequiringhimorthemtodosomeparticularthingthereinspecifiedwhichappertainsto
hisortheirofficeandisinthenatureofpublicduty.InBinnyLtdvSadasivan,2005(6)SCALE
435,theSupremeCourtheldthatthewritofmandamusispreeminentlyapubliclawremedyand
canbeissuedagainstprivatebodyorpersonbutonlyforenforcementofpublicduty.
ATMarkoseinPage364ofhisbookJudicialControlofAdministrativeActioninIndiapointsout
plainlythat,Thewritofmandamusisthusanorderbyasuperiorcourtcommandingapersonora
public authority ( including the Government and public corporation ) to do or forbear to do
somethinginthenatureofpublicdutyorincertaincasesofastatutoryduty.Letmemakeitmore
clear by citing an example . As we all know , a licensing officer is duty bound to issue a licence in
favouroftheapplicantonbeingsatisfiedthatallconditionslaiddownfortheissueofsuchlicenceare
fulfilled.Butifthelicensingofficerdespiteallconditionsbeingfulfilledforissueoflicencestillrefuses
or fails to issue the licence , the applicant has every right to get the licence issued in his favour by
seeking remedy through the mandamus writ . In PWS& S. Board v Ranjodh Singh , ( 2007 ) 2 SCC
491,itwasheldbytheSupremeCourtthat,Mandamusisissuedonlywhenalegaldutyisimposed
on a public authority in the performance of which the petitioner has a legal right . This same
observationwasheldbytheSupremeCourtinthecasesofStateofUPvJohriMalAIR2004SC3800
,GBReddyvICRInstitute,AIR2003SC1764,BiharEGFCooptSocietyvSipahiSinghAIR1977
SC2149,LSLalvanivDyCustodiancumManagingOfficerAIR1966SC334andStateofMPv
MandawaraAIR1954SC493.
The writ of mandamus is issued by a superior court to enforce performance of public duties by
authorities of all kinds . As for instance , in the case of Parry & Co v Commercial Employees
Association,AIR1952SC179andKVRSettyvStateofMysore,AIR1967SC993,itwasheldbythe
Apex Court that when a tribunal omits to decide a matter which it is bound to decide , it can be
commandedtodeterminethequestionswhichithasleftundecided.InthecaseofUnionofIndiav
SB Vohra AIR 2004 SC 1402 , it was held by the Supreme Court that the object of mandamus is to
prevent disorder from a failure of justice and is required to be granted in all cases where law has
established no specific remedy and where justice despite demanded has not been granted . In
SaraswatiIndustrialSyndicateLtdvUnionofIndiaAIR1975SC460,itwasheldbytheApexCourt
thatmandamuswouldliewhenthereisafailuretoperformamandatoryduty.Thepetitionermust
showthathehasmadeademandtoenforcethatdutyandthedemandwasrefused.Also,inUnion
of India v C Krishna Reddy , AIR 2004 SC 1194 , it was held by the Supreme Court that the chief
function of the writ of mandamus , it is explained , is to compel performance of public duties
prescribedbyStatueandtokeepsubordinateTribunalsandofficersexercisingpublicfunctionswithin
thelimitoftheirjurisdiction.InDrUmakantvStateofBihar,AIR1973SC964andinLSDLalvaniv
Dy C Cum. M. Officer , AIR 1966 SC 334 , it was held by the Apex Court that in order that a
mandamusmayissue,itmustbeshownthatamandamusmayissue,itmustbeshownthatthereisa

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mandamusmayissue,itmustbeshownthatamandamusmayissue,itmustbeshownthatthereisa
Statue which imposes a legal duty and the aggrieved party has a legal right under the Statue to
enforce its performance . Also held that it is well settled by a catena of decisions that a writ of
mandamus can be granted only in a case where there is a statutory duty imposed upon the officer
concernedandthereisafailureonthepartofthatofficertodischargethestatutoryobligation.
Itmustalsobementionedherethatthewritofmandamusisissuedonlyinsuchcaseswheneitherthe
State fails to perform its duty or when the discretion exercised by the State is not done legally . In
GuruvayoorDevaswomManagingCommitteevCKRajanAIR2004SC561,itwasheldthatalthough
theCourtordinarilyisreluctanttoassumethefunctionsofthestatutoryfunctionariesitwillstepinby
mandamus when the State fails to perform its duty . It shall also step in when the discretion is
exercised but the same has not been done legally and validly . And even though existence of an
alternative remedy is no bar to exercise jurisdiction under Article 226 , it will not ordinarily do so
unless it is found that an order has been passed wholly without jurisdiction or contradictory to the
constitutionalorstatutory provisions or where an order has been passed without complying with the
principles of natural justice . In Sharif Ahmad v RTA Meerut , AIR 1978 SC 209 , it was held by the
ApexCourtthatmandamuscanbeissueddirectingtheexecutivetodoitslegaldutybyimplementing
theordersofatribunal.
Having dealt with a plethora of cases in which mandamus writ can be issued , I would now like to
dwellonthegroundsunderwhichthewritofmandamuscannotbeissued.Itcannotbeissuedforthe
enforcementofprivateduties.Asforinstance,inKulchhinderSinghvHardayalSingh,AIR1976SC
2216andalsoinBiharEGFCooperativeSocietyvSipahiSingh,AIR1977SC2149,itwasheldby
Apex Court that it cannot be issued for the enforcement of obligations arising out of a contract . In
PragaToolsCorporationvImanual,AIR1969SC1306,itwasheldbytheSupremeCourtthatawrit
of mandamus cannot be issued against a private individual or any private body if it is not entrusted
with any public duty . I must also bring out here that the writ of mandamus cannot be issued when
thepublicdutytobeperformedbyapersonorauthorityagainstwhomthewritissoughttobeissued
isdiscretionaryandnotmandatory.However,inStateofPunjabvGurdialSingh,AIR1980SC1306
,StateofPunjabvHariKishan,AIR1966SC1081andIranivStateofMadras,AIR1961SC1731,it
ws held by the Apex Court that if the discretion is exercised arbitrarily or maliciously or without
applying the mind or irrelevant consideration , mandamus would lie . In State of MP v Mandawara
AIR 1954 SC 493 , it was held by the Apex Court that the writ of mandamus could not be issued to
compelthegovernmenttoexerciseitspower.
Apart from the grounds listed above , there are some other grounds also under which the writ of
mandamuscannotbegranted.InDurgaPrasadvStateofBombayAIR1970SC769,itwasheldby
the Supreme Court that the writ of mandamus may be refused on the ground of laches or on the
groundofunexplaineddelay.InDayavJointChiefController,AIR1962SC1796,itwasheldbythe
SupremeCourtthatifthepetitionforthewritofmandamusisfoundtobeinfructuousorfruitless,it
maybedismissedonthatground.Thus,iftheactagainstwhichthiswritissoughttobeissuedhas
beencompletedtheissueofthewritwillbefruitless,andtheCourtmayrefusetoissueit.InPraga
ToolsCorporationvImanual,AIR1969SC1306,itwasheldbytheApexCourtthatmandamuswill
not lie against a Company which is incorporated under the Indian Companies Act and has no
statutoryorpublicdutytoperform.TheSupremeCourthasheldinNarindraChandraHemRajvLt
Governor,Administrator,UnionTerritory,HimachalPradesh,AIR1971SC2399thatnoCourtcan
issueamandatetoalegislaturetoenactaparticularlaw.InGovernmentofAPvKBrahmanandam,
AIR2008SC3176,itwasheldbyApexCourtthattheCourtcannotissueawritoforinthenatureof
mandamus for regularisation of the service of the employee which would be violative of the
ConstitutionalScheme.SimilarlyinStateofKarnatakavUmaDevi,2006AIRSCW1991,itwasheld
by the Apex Court that the writ of mandamus cannot be issued to regularise the service if the

by the Apex Court that the writ of mandamus cannot be issued to regularise the service if the
appointmenthasbeenmadeinviolationofthemandatoryprovisionofastatute.
Finally , on a concluding note , I would also like to mention here that any person who is adversely
affectedbytheviolationofthestatutorydutyortheabuseofthestatutorypower,mayapplyforthe
issue of the writ of mandamus as held by Apex Court in case of Guruswamy v State of Mysore , AIR
1954 SC 592 . Strictly speaking , only such a person whose legal right has been violated has a legal
righttocompeltheperformanceofpublicdutycastontheofficialwhorefusestoperform.Lastbut
nottheleast,itisthusaneffectivelegalremedytoolavailabletoeverypersonwhohasbeenwronged
andwhoselegalrighthasbeenviolatedinthemannerjustviolated.
0

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