LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

SOCIAL JUSTICE
 THE SYSTEM OF JUSTICE WHICH
PROTECTS THE INDIVIDUAL
FROM ALL TYPES OF
EXPLOITATION AND ENSURES A
SECURE LIFE TO THE PEOPLE IN
THE SOCIETY
 EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
 IN THEEYES OF LAW, IT IS ILLEGAL TO
DENY WORKERS THEIR WAGES.
 TO ENSURE THAT THE WORKERS ARE NOT
UNDERPAID OR ARE PAID FAIRLY
 A WORKER HAS TO BE PAID NOT LESS
THAN THE MINIMUM WAGE BY THE
EMPLOYER
 MINIMUM WAGES ARE TO BE REVISED
UPWARDS FROM TIME TO TIME.
 NO CONSUMER HAS TO BE EXPLOITED IN
THE MARKETPLACE BY THE SUPPLIER
 MINIMUM WAGES ACT
 IT SPECIFIES THAT WAGES
SHOULD NOT BE BELOW A
SPECIFIED MINIMUM.
 THIS LAW IS MEANT TO
PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF ALL
TYPES OF WORKERS.
 ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY
LAWS
 THERE MUST BE SUFFICIENT SAFETY
MEASURES IN WORK PLACES SUCH AS
ALARM SYSTEM, EMERGENCY EXIT,
PROPERLY FUNCTIONING MACHINERY, FIRE
FIGHTING EQUIPMENTS
 THESE LAWS ARE MEANT FOR THE LIFE AND
SAFETY OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS AND
SET TO PREVENT NEGLIGENCE OF THE
FACTORY OWNERS ABOUT THE LIFE AND
SAFETY OF THE WORKERS.
 EXAMPLE- BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY
 RIGHT TO SAFETY OF
CONSUMERS
 CONSUMERS MIGHT BE PUT TO RISK BY
POOR QUALITY OF PRODUCTS IN THE
MARKET.
 LAW REQUIRES THAT THE QUALITY OF
GOODS MEET CERTAIN PRESCRIBED
STANDARDS.EXAMPLE- ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES HAVE TO MEET SAFETY
STANDARDS.
 THIS LAW PROTECTS THE CONSUMER BEING
CHEATED WITH SUB-STANDARD QUALITY
OF GOODS IN THE MARKET
 LAW FOR PRICE REGULATION
 CONSUMERS ARE LIKELY TO FACE THE
SOARING PRICE OF THE BASIC GOODS IN
THE MARKET PLACE. ALWAYS PRICE IS
SPECULATED BY THE SELLERS.
 LAW REQUIRES THAT PRICE OF THE
ESSENTIAL GOODS ARE NOT HIGH.
EXAMPLE- SUGAR, KEROSENE, LPG GAS,
FOODGRAINS.
 THIS LAW ENABLES THE POOR TO
AFFORD THE BASIC GOODS AT AN
AFFORDABLE PRICE.
 LAW AGAINST POLLUTION
 FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIES RELEASE
SMOKE AND HARMFUL GASES FROM THEIR
CHIMNEYS.
 THEY RELEASE THEIR INDUSTRIAL
EFFLUENTS INTO THE WATER BODIES AND
CAUSE SURFACE POLLUTION
 LAW REQUIRES THAT FACTORIES DO NOT
POLLUTE AIR OR WATER
 THIS LAW ENSURES A CLEAN AND GREEN
ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PEOPLE AS CLEAN
AND GREEN ENVIRONMENT IS A PUBLIC
FACILITY
 LAW AGAINST CHILD LABOUR
 MANY TIMES CHILD LABOUR AT WORK PLACE
ARE NOT PROPERLY PAID AND ARE FORCED
BY THE EMPLOYERS TO DO HAZARDOUS
WORK KEEPING THE LIFE OF THE CHILD
LABOUR AT RISK.
 LAW PROHIBITS CHILD LABOUR IN WORK
PLACES

NO CHILD BELOW THE AGE OF 14 YEARS
SHALL BE FORCED TO DO HAZARDOUS WORK
 THIS RIGHT PROTECTS THE CHILD FROM
EXPLOITATION AND HELPS HIM/ HER TO
LIVE A HAPPY CHILDHOOD.
 LAW TO FORM WORKERS
UNION/ASSOCIATION
 BY ORGANISING THEMSELVES INTO UNIONS,
WORKERS USE THEIR COMBINED POWER TO
DEMAND FAIR WAGES AND BETTER WORKING
CONDITIONS
 IN THIS AGE OF PRIVATIZATION, PRIVATE
EMPLOYERS DENY PROPER WAGE TO WORKERS
AND MAKE THEM TO WORK WITHOUT ANY
GUARANTEE OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND
WITHOUT ANY HEALTHY WORKING
ATMOSPHERE
 THIS LAW GUARANTEES THE RIGHT TO
FREEDOM OF PEOPLE UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF
INDIAN CONSTITUTION
 SUPREME COURT AND RIGHT
TO LIFE

SUBHASH KUMAR Vs. STATE OF BIHAR, 1991
CASE
 THE SUPREME COURT HELD THAT THE RIGHT
TO LIFE IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT UNDER
ARTICLE 21 OF THE CONSTITUTION AND IT
INCLUDES THE RIGHT TO THE ENJOYMENT OF
POLLUTION-FREE WATER AND AIR FOR FULL
ENJOYMENT OF LIFE.
 THE GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
SETTING UP LAWS AND PROCEDURES THAT CAN
CHECK POLLUTION, CLEAN RIVERS AND
INTRODUCE HEAVY FINES FOR THOSE WHO
POLLUTE.
 ENVIRONMENT AS A PUBLIC
FACILITY
 YAMUNA WATER POLLUTION IN DELHI
 YAMUNA RIVER WATER WAS POLLUTED BY
THE LEATHER INDUSTRIES ALONG THE
RIVER.
 SUPREME COURT ORDERED THE SHIFTING
AND RELOCATION OF THESE INDUSTRIES.
 MANY WORKERS LOST THEIR JOBS.
 OTHERS WERE FORCED TO GO FAR AWAY
PLACES. NEW PLACES BECAME POLLUTED
 SAFETY CONDITIONS OF THE WORKERS
REMAINED UNADDRESSED.
 ENVIRONMENT AS A PUBLIC
FACILITY
 YAMUNA WATER POLLUTION IN DELHI
LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS:
1) MOVE TO CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES AND
PROCESSES IN FACTORIES
2) GOVERNMENT HAS TO SUPPORT THE
FACTORIES
3) IT WILL NEED TO FINE THOSE WHO POLLUTE.
4) WITH THISE MEASURES, THE WORKERS’
LIVELIHOODS ARE PROTECTED AND BOTH
WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES LIVING
AROUND THE FACTORIES ENJOY A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT.
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AT
GLOBAL LEVEL
 ADVANCED COUNTRIES ARE RELOCATING THE
TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIES TO
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE WEAK LAWS IN THOSE COUNTRIES AND
KEEP THEIR OWN COUNTRIES SAFE.(SOUTH
ASIAN COUNTRIES INCLUDING INDIA-PORT OF
KANDLA IN GUJARAT)
 SHIP BREAKING INDUSTRY IS RAPIDLY GROWING
IN SOUTH ASIA. OLD SHIPS NO LONGER IN USE
ARE SENT TO SHIPYARDS OF INDIA, PAKISTAN
AND BANGLADESH. SOMETIMES THESE SHIPS
CONTAIN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES.
 CONCLUSION
 PEOPLE CAN CREATE PRESSURE ON BOTH
THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE
COMPANIES TO ACT IN THE BETTER
INTEREST OF THE SOCIETY.
 PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN ACHIEVING
SAFE ENVIRONMENT AS THEIR PART OF
RIGHT TO LIFE
 PEOPLE MUST CONTINUE THEIR DEMAND
FOR THE FACILITY OF HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT BE EXTENDED TO ALL.
 PEOPLE MUST DEMAND STRONGER LAWS
PROTECTING WORKERS INTERESTS SO THAT
THE RIGHT TO LIFE IS ACHIEVED FOR ALL.