1.2.2. Principle of Natural justice

There are three rules that govern the principle of natural justice

a) No man should be punished without being heard.

b) No man shall be judge of his own case.

c) An authority shall at bona-fide (in good faith) without any bias.

The object of principles of natural justice is to exclude the chances of arbitrariness and assures a certain degree of fairness in the process of decision making. It demands that actions must be supported by reasons. They aim to humanize the decision-making process. They are based upon human rationality and are universal in nature.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Principles of Natural Justice are binding on all authorities, including individuals and judiciary itself. Though, they are not incorporated explicitly in our Constitution, but still they are an inherent feature of it. In Maneka Gandhi vs. GOI, 1978 case the Supreme Court held that principles of natural justice are inherently found under Article 21(right to life) of the Constitution and the legislature is bound by the ‘due process of law’. In the Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Ltd. vs. Brojo Nath Ganguly, 1986 case the Supreme Court held that the rules of natural justice are implicit to the right of equality under Article 14. They are one of the principles over which the constitution has been founded. They are so pervasive in the Constitution that they can be regarded as a part of basic structure of the Constitution.