The year 2018 has been a huge year from the point of view of the judiciary. As Dipak Misra got retired as the Chief Justice of India in October this year, he pronounced verdicts in some of the biggest cases that India had been waiting for. These verdicts became the basis for change in Indian society. Each judgment had some interesting and important observations that questioned the norms in Indian society and called for change. Here's a look at the biggest Supreme Court Judgments of 2018.

Section 377 Verdict

When all else failed, India looked at the Supreme Court in all hopes for an equal life for the other gender. In September, the Supreme Court partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised homosexuality, after months of deliberations. “History owes an apology to LGBT persons,” said Justice Indu Malhotra, in the biggest judgment of 2018. "LGBT Community has the same rights as of any ordinary citizen. Respect for each others' rights and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible," said former CJI Dipak Misra.

WATCH: A Look Back At The Big Judgments of 2018

Aadhaar Verdict

Whether or not to link your Aadhaar with mobile phone number, Paytm and bank account was a question on top of the Indian common man's mind. The Supreme Court answered this burning question in September this year. Even as the apex court declared Aadhaar as constitutionally valid, it said that Aadhaar would not be mandatory for banks, private companies and for documentation related to educational purposes. The court held that Aadhaar was a must for PAN and Income Tax returns.

Sabarimala Temple Verdict

September 2018 was the month of back to back landmark judgments by the Supreme Court. In yet another historic verdict, opened the doors of the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala for Ayyappa Darshan for women of all age groups, saying women are worshipped as goddesses and no biological reason can be given legitimacy. Justice Chandrachud, in his concurring judgment, stated that religion cannot be cover to deny women their right to worship. "To treat women as children of lesser God is to blink at Constitutional morality. Physiological features cannot be a ground for denial of right. To suggest that women cannot keep Vratam is to stigmatise them," he said. However, despite the court order, women await the Ayyappa darshan as devotees have laid siege around the temple ever since.

Adultery Verdict

This was yet another historic verdict in the September series of the Supreme Court. The court struck down the 150-year old Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code and decriminalised adultery. CJI Misra and Justice Khanwilkar said in their observation that a woman cannot be asked to think how a man or society desires. "Her husband is not her master," the verdict said.

While September became the month of historic judgments, the year 2018, with these judgments, became a year to be etched in the books of history with such landmark verdicts that laid the basis for a revolution in the society.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2018 12:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).