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Washington University in St. Louis

Constitutional limitations and the rule of law: an Indian perspective

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>This dissertation undertakes a comprehensive examination of the doctrine of the rule of law within the Indian constitutional framework, with particular emphasis on the judiciary’s role in interpreting constitutional limitations on legislative and executive power. Since the enforcement of the Constitution of India in 1950, the Indian Supreme Court has played a pivotal role in defining, operationalizing, and enforcing the rule of law through judicial review. However, this role has been accompanied by persistent doctrinal uncertainty, especially regarding the appropriate methodology of constitutional interpretation. This study critically explores how competing interpretative approaches—namely living constitutionalism, originalism, and the doctrine of basic structure—have shaped Indian constitutional jurisprudence and assesses their compatibility with the foundational ideals of the rule of law.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Year dc:date.available
2025

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Tyagi, Sankalp

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

Language dc:language
English

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_etds/106
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:law_etds-1104

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Washington University in St. Louis
Base URL
openscholarship.wustl.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Tyagi, Sankalp. Constitutional limitations and the rule of law: an Indian perspective. Dissertation thesis, 2025. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_etds/106