Key legal issues

The Kesavananda Bharati case involved several key legal issues, including the constitutional validity of the Kerala Land Reforms Act and the extent of the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution.

Constitutional Validity of the Kerala Land Reforms Act: The primary legal issue in the case was the constitutional validity of the Kerala Land Reforms Act, which placed a limit on the amount of land that a person could hold and provided for the acquisition of excess land from landowners. Kesavananda Bharati argued that the Act violated his fundamental right to property, which was guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

The extent of the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution: Another key legal issue in the case was the extent of the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution. The question before the Supreme Court was whether the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution was unlimited or whether there were limits to this power.

The doctrine of basic structure of the Constitution: The Supreme Court, in its judgment, established the doctrine of basic structure of the Constitution, which holds that certain fundamental features of the Constitution, such as the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary, cannot be amended or abrogated by the Parliament through a constitutional amendment. The question before the court was whether this doctrine was a part of the Constitution and whether the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution extended to this doctrine.

The key legal issues involved in the Kesavananda Bharati case were the constitutional validity of the Kerala Land Reforms Act, the extent of the Parliament's power to amend the Constitution, and the establishment of the doctrine of basic structure of the Constitution.