The Karnataka High Court dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the constitutionality of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s newly formed Council of Ministers on June 16, 2024 [1].
The ruling removes a legal hurdle regarding the composition of the state government and penalizes the use of the judicial system for non-legal motives. This decision affirms the validity of the current administration's structure.
The court imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 [2] on the petitioner for filing the suit. Judges said the legal action was a publicity stunt [3].
The petition was based on a claim that the number of ministers in the council cannot be less than 12% [4] of the total members of the legislature. The court rejected this premise, stating the petition was based on a clear misinterpretation of the Constitution [5].
"The petition is premised on an erroneous ground that the number of ministers cannot be less than 12% of the total members of the legislature," the court said [6].
The bench further noted that the legal challenge lacked merit and was not grounded in a correct reading of constitutional law. By dismissing the case and imposing a financial penalty, the court signaled its disapproval of petitions that rely on factual errors to target political appointments [3].
“"This is a publicity stunt."”
This ruling reinforces the executive's authority in forming a cabinet and establishes a deterrent against frivolous public interest litigations. By penalizing the petitioner for a misinterpretation of constitutional minimums, the court is emphasizing that legal challenges to government formation must be based on accurate legal precedents rather than political optics.
