Olga Tellis v Bombay Municipal Corporation (1986)

Labour Law II · Competent Authority — Powers, Notice, Claim and Deposit

Facts.

Pavement and slum dwellers in Bombay faced eviction that would end their means of earning.

Issue.

Does the right to life in Article 21 include the right to livelihood?

Held.

Yes. Depriving a person of livelihood by unfair means can amount to depriving him of life; the Directive Principles about work inform Article 21.

Why it matters.

It is the bridge that makes the “non-binding” labour Directives constitutionally effective — the core of every “FR and DPSP are the backbone” answer.

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