QUESTION 4(a)
GS4
10 marks
“The concept of Just and Unjust is contextual. What was just a year back, may turn out to be unjust in today’s context. Changing context should be constantly under scrutiny to prevent miscarriage of justice.” Examine the above statement with suitable examples.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Examine with examples how notions of just and unjust change over time and why law must keep up.
ExamineGo into the details, test each point against evidence, and conclude on what it shows.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: justice is shaped by social values, knowledge and rights awareness, which change≈30 words
- 2Examples: decriminalisation of homosexuality (Navtej Johar, 2018); adultery (Joseph Shine, 2018); privacy as a fundamental right (Puttaswamy, 2017)≈30 words
- 3Need for scrutiny: periodic law review, Law Commission, repeal of obsolete laws≈30 words
- 4Caution: some core values (dignity, non-violence) are not contextual≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningExamples of changeMechanisms for reviewLimitConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Agreeing with no examples
- Implying that all morality is relative
Draw this
- Timeline: old law → changed context → new judgement
Value addition
- CaseNavtej Singh Johar v Union of India (2018) read down Section 377 IPC.Supreme Court of India
- ExampleOver 1,500 obsolete central laws have been repealed since 2014.Ministry of Law and Justice
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.