# Why Colonial-Era Laws Still Shape India’s Courts 2026-08-15T10:00:28+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India’s Supreme Court continues to apply laws enacted under British rule to modern disputes, including solar power contracts, a Rs 50 crore dishonoured cheque and a long-running land lease. In April, the Court relied on the Government Grants Act, 1895, to decide a dispute over Sujan Singh Park land leased in 1945. The case came 79 years after Independence. Parliament has passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, to replace the 1891 Act, though the Information Technology Act, 2000 had already adapted it for electronic records. Other laws from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Contract Act, Transfer of Property Act and Code of Civil Procedure, remain in force and shape litigation. ## Coverage - thefederal.com Tags: Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, Parliament of India, Sujan Singh Park, Supreme Court of India Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/why-colonial-era-laws-still-shape-indias-courts/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/why-colonial-era-laws-still-shape-indias-courts/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.