The principle of natural justice has been depicted as ‘fairplay in action’ that prevents miscarriage of justice. The applicability of natural justice is contingent upon the facts and circumstances of each case, nature of enquiry, rules followed by the adjudicatory body, subject matter of the case etc. The concept of natural justice is based on two principles – (a) a person affected by a decision has a right to be heard; and (b) the authority deciding the matter should be free from bias. The Supreme Court of India has held that the rules of natural justice operate only in those areas not covered by any law validly made and these rules do not supersede the law of the land.
