The Irony of Judicial Activism

I was interning at court when a senior lawyer said, "Arre judiciary ko to kuch bhi faisla karne ka haq hai, papa ne isse use kiya toh judge khud bhi hansi pada." (The judiciary has the right to make any decision, Papa used it and the judge even laughed.) We were discussing the concept of judicial activism. Our textbooks say it's when judges overstep their bounds, but in reality, they're just doing their job. I saw it when a judge gave a landmark verdict in the Navtej Singh Johar case, decriminalizing homosexuality. It was a bold move, but a necessary one. I realized that judicial activism isn't about judges being overambitious, it's about them protecting the rights of citizens. For AILET, it's essential to understand this nuance.