{"id":136331,"date":"2024-10-09T13:03:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T07:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=136331"},"modified":"2024-12-24T17:03:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T11:33:56","password":"","slug":"jurisdiction-powers-supreme-court-india","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs\/jurisdiction-powers-supreme-court-india","title":{"rendered":"Jurisdiction and Powers of the Supreme Court &#8211; Part 01"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/supreme-court\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court of India<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as the apex judicial authority, holds extensive jurisdiction and powers, paralleling the Federal Court of the USA and functioning as a final court of appeal akin to the British House of Lords. It serves as the ultimate guardian of the Constitution and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/fundamental-rights\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fundamental rights<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, endowed with advisory and supervisory capabilities. This article explores the various jurisdictions and powers conferred upon the Supreme Court, including original, writ, appellate, and advisory jurisdictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>Jurisdiction and Powers of the Supreme Court of India: An In-Depth Analysis<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>The Role and Authority of the Supreme Court in India&#8217;s Legal Framework<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extensive Jurisdiction and Powers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Constitution confers a very extensive jurisdiction and powers to the Supreme Court which\u00a0 is similar to a <\/span><b>Federal Court\u00a0 of the USA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Final Court of Appeal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u00a0 also acts as\u00a0 a final court of appeal like the<\/span><b> British House of Lords<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Guardian of the Constitution:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is\u00a0 the<\/span><b> final interpreter <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>guardian of the Constitution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and also as a<\/span><b> guarantor of the fundamental rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the citizens.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Advisory and Supervisory Powers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, it also\u00a0 has advisory and supervisory powers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136334 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130052.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"57\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130052.webp 620w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130052-300x28.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span class=\"vc_button\"><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/i><\/a><i><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>The jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Court can be classified into the following:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Original Jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writ Jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appellate Jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advisory Jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Court of Record.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power of Judicial Review.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enlargement of the Supreme Court&#8217;s power.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Binding Nature of the Supreme Court&#8217; decision.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enforcement of decrees and orders of the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constitutional Interpretation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other Powers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Original Jurisdiction (Article 131)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dispute Resolution Between Federation Units:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Supreme Court decides the disputes between different units of the Indian Federation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Types of Disputes:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between the Centre and one or more states<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between the Centre and any state or states on one side and one or more other states on the other side<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between two or more states.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exclusive Original Jurisdiction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For federal disputes, the Supreme Court has exclusive original jurisdiction.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Exclusive means<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> no other court can decide such disputes and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Original means<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the power to hear such disputes in the first instance, and not by way of appeal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Important Points:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In case of the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, <\/span><b>two points should be noted.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Exclusion of Political Questions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dispute must involve a question of whether of law or fact, therefore, the questions of political nature are excluded from it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Limitation on Private Citizen Suits:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Any suit brought before the Supreme Court by a private citizen against the Centre or a state cannot be entertained.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u00a0Limitations of the Supreme Court&#8217;s Jurisdiction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, this jurisdiction of the Supreme Court <\/span><b>does not extend<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for :<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dispute arising out of any <\/span><b>pre-Constitution treaty, agreement, covenant, engagement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dispute arising out of any treaty, agreement, etc., <\/span><b>which specifically provides that the said jurisdiction does not extend to such a dispute<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inter-state water disputes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matters referred to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/finance-commission\/\"><b>Finance Commission<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adjustment of certain <\/span><b>expenses and pensions between the Centre and the states<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ordinary dispute of a Commercial nature<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between the Centre and the states.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Recovery of damages<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by a state against the Centre.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136332 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-125937.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"464\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-125937.webp 464w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-125937-300x199.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 464px) 100vw, 464px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136336 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130214.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"647\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130214.webp 647w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-09-130214-300x92.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 647px) 100vw, 647px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Writ Jurisdiction (Article 32)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Empowerment of the Supreme Court to Issue Writs: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court is empowered to issue writs including <\/span><b>habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo- warranto and certiorari <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for the <\/span><b>enforcement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the <\/span><b>fundamental rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of an aggrieved citizen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Original Jurisdiction in Writ Jurisdiction:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Supreme Court in this regard has original jurisdiction in the sense that an <\/span><b>aggrieved citizen can directly go to the Supreme Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u00a0 and not necessarily by way of appeal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Non-Exclusive Writ Jurisdiction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is not exclusive.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It means that when the <\/span><b>Fundamental Rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of a citizen are violated, the aggrieved party has the <\/span><b>option of moving either the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/high-court\/\"><b>High Court<\/b><\/a><b> or the Supreme Court directly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Differences in Original Jurisdiction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court with regard to federal disputes is different from its original jurisdiction with regard to disputes relating to fundamental rights.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>In the first case:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it is exclusive where the parties involved are units of federation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>In the<\/b> <b>second case:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it is between a citizen and the Government (Central or state).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Comparison with High Court: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court can issue writs <\/span><b>only for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and not for other purposes.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, the <\/span><b>High Court can issue writs not only for the enforcement of fundamental rights but also for other purposes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It means that the <\/span><b>writ jurisdiction of the High Court is wider than that of the Supreme Court.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Parliamentary Power: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, the <\/span><b>Parliament <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can confer power on the Supreme Court to issue writs for <\/span><b>other purposes also.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Appellate Jurisdiction<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Supreme Court as a Court of Appeal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court is primarily a court of appeal and hears appeals against the judgments of the lower courts.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Wide Appellate Jurisdiction:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It enjoys a wide appellate jurisdiction which can be classified under <\/span><b>four heads:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b>1. Appeals in Constitutional Matters (Article 132)<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An appeal can be made to the Supreme Court against the judgement of a High Court if the High Court certifies that the case involves a <\/span><b>substantial question of law<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that requires the <\/span><b>interpretation of the Constitution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b>2. Appeals in Civil Matters (Article 133)<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An appeal lies to the Supreme Court from any judgement of a High Court if the<\/span><b> High Court certifies\u2013<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case involves a <\/span><b>substantial question of law<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of general importance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question needs to be decided by the<\/span><b> Supreme Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b>3. Appeals in Criminal Matters (Article\u00a0 134)<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Supreme Court hears appeals <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">against the judgment in a criminal proceeding of a High Court if the High Court:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Reverses an Order of Acquittal:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The High Court has reversed an order of acquittal of an accused person and sentenced him to death.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Takes a Case from Subordinate Courts: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The High Court has taken before itself any case from any subordinate court that convicted the accused person and sentenced him to death.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Certifies the Case for Appeal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The High Court certifies that the case is fit for appeal to the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Right to Appeal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the <\/span><b>first two cases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an appeal lies to the Supreme Court as a<\/span><b> matter of right<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (i.e., without any certificate from the High Court).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if the <\/span><b>High Court has reversed the order of conviction and has ordered the acquittal of the accused<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>there is no right to appeal to the Supreme Court.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Extension of Appellate Jurisdiction:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Furthermore, the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court extends to <\/span><b>all civil and criminal cases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in which the Federal Court of India had jurisdiction to hear appeals from the High Court but which are not covered under the civil and criminal appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court mentioned above.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b>4. Appeal by Special Leave (Article 136)<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Discretionary Power: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court is authorized to grant, in its discretion,<\/span><b> special leave to appeal from any judgment in any matter passed by any court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or tribunal in the country (except military tribunals and court-martial). This provision contains four aspects:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>No Right to Claim: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a discretionary power and hence cannot be claimed as a matter of right.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Applicability to Judgments: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be granted in any judgment, whether <\/span><b>final or interlocutory.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Matters Covered:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It may relate to any matter\u2014<\/span><b>constitutional, civil, criminal, income-tax, labor, revenue, advocates, etc.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Courts and Tribunals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It can be granted against <\/span><b>any court or tribunal and not necessarily against a High Court <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(except for military courts).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Broad Jurisdiction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This provision gives the Supreme Court a broad jurisdiction to hear appeals.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court itself stated that this power is <\/span><b>extraordinary and exceptional<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and it should be used carefully and rarely, only in <\/span><b>special situations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is <\/span><b>no fixed rule or formula <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to limit the use of this power.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Advisory Jurisdiction<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Categories of Matters for Presidential Opinion: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per <\/span><b>(Article 143)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Constitution it authorises the President to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court in the two categories of matters:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Question of Public Importance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On any question of law or fact of public importance which has arisen or which is likely to arise:- here, the Supreme Court may tender or may refuse to tender its opinion to the President.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Dispute from Pre-Constitution Treaties:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On any dispute arising out of any pre-Constitution treaty, agreement, covenant, engagement:- here, the Supreme Court \u2018must\u2019 tender its opinion to the President<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nature of the Supreme Court\u2019s Opinion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In both these cases, the Supreme Court\u2019s opinion is only advisory and not a judicial pronouncement.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, it is<\/span><b> not binding upon the President<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and may follow or may not follow the opinion.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, it facilitates the government to have an <\/span><b>authoritative legal opinion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on a matter to be decided by it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Past References by the President:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Till now, the<\/span><b> President has made several references to the Supreme Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under its advisory jurisdiction (also known as consultative jurisdiction) which we can see below:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delhi Laws Act in 1951<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Berubari Union in 1960<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sea Customs Act of 1963<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keshav Singh\u2019s case relating to the privileges of the Legislature in 1964<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presidential Election in 1974<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jammu and Kashmir Resettlement Act in 1982<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 1992<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rama Janma Bhumi case in 1993<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The consultation process to be adopted by the Chief Justice of India in 1998<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legislative competence of the Centre and States on natural gas and liquefied natural gas in 2001<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constitutional validity of the Election Commission\u2019s decision on deferring the Gujarat Assembly Elections (2002).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Punjab Termination of Agreements Act in 2004.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2G spectrum case verdict.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Court of Record (Article 129)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Powers of the Supreme Court as a Court of Record: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has two powers when having power of a Court of Record<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Recording of Judgements and Proceedings: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgements, proceedings and acts of the Supreme Court are recorded for <\/span><b>perpetual memory and testimony<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and are admitted to be of <\/span><b>evidentiary value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>cannot be questioned<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when produced before any court.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0It is also recognised as a <\/span><b>legal precedent and legal reference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Power to Punish for Contempt of Court:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It has the power to punish for contempt of court, either with <\/span><b>simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with a fine up to \u20b92,000 or with both.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Scope of Contempt Power: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1991, the Supreme Court held that it has the power to punish for contempt <\/span><b>not only of itself but also for other Courts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; high courts, subordinate courts and tribunals functioning in the entire country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Contempt of Court may be Civil or Criminal.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It means wilful disobedience to any judgement order of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Civil contempt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means <\/span><b>wilful disobedience<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to any<\/span><b> judgement, order, writ or other process <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of a court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Criminal contempt <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">means the publication of any matter or doing an act which<\/span><b>\u2013<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Scandalises or lowers the authority of a court<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Prejudices or interferes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with the due course of a judicial proceeding<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Interferes or obstructs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the administration of justice in any other manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Exceptions to Contempt of Court:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Also <\/span><b>\u00a0innocent publication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and distribution of some matter, <\/span><b>fair and reasonable criticism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of judicial acts and comment on the administrative side of the judiciary <\/span><b>do not amount to contempt of court.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Power of Judicial Review (Article 137)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This term denotes the <\/span><b>power of the Supreme Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to examine the <\/span><b>constitutionality of legislative enactments and executive orders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of not only\u00a0 the Central but also\u00a0 state governments.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Declaration of Unconstitutionality: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a legislative enactment or executive order is found to violate the Constitution (ultra vires), it can be declared illegal, unconstitutional, and invalid by the Supreme Court.<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Non-Enforceability: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, such laws or orders <\/span><b>cannot be enforced by the Government<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Power to Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Additionally, the Supreme Court has the power to review any judgment pronounced or order made by it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Curative Petition: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SupremeCourt conceived the idea in <\/span><b>Rupa Hurra v\/s Ashok Hurra<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> case. It is used when the review petition is dismissed or exhausted.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span class=\"vc_button\"><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/i><\/a><i><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.3455%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 357.363%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.0808%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/\"><b>Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 307.282%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\"><b>Editorial Analysis<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.0808%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\"><b>Upsc Notes\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 307.282%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/blogs\/\"><b>Upsc Blogs\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.0808%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/ncert-notes\/\"><b>NCERT Notes<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 307.282%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\"><b>Free Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In conclusion, the jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Court are pivotal in maintaining the <\/span><b>rule of law and safeguarding the rights of citizens in India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its roles, ranging from resolving<\/span><b> federal disputes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to issuing writs for enforcing <\/span><b>fundamental rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, underscore its critical position in the democratic framework.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By exercising its powers judiciously, the Supreme Court not only <\/span><b>interprets the Constitution <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but also <\/span><b>ensures justice<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, reinforcing its status as the <\/span><b>custodian of democracy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>Sign up for the<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <b><i>PWOnlyIAS Online Course by Physics Wallah<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> and start your journey to IAS success today!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.27%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 375.998%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #ff5e00; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Related Articles\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.8789%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/finance-commission\/\">Finance Commission<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 326.119%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/high-court\/\">High Courts in India<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.8789%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 326.119%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #e9ebe8;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/fundamental-rights\/\">Fundamental Rights<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court of India, as the apex judicial authority, holds extensive jurisdiction and powers, paralleling the Federal Court of the USA and functioning as a final court of appeal akin to the British House of Lords. It serves as the ultimate guardian of the Constitution and fundamental rights, endowed with advisory and supervisory capabilities.&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs\/jurisdiction-powers-supreme-court-india\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Jurisdiction and Powers of the Supreme Court &#8211; Part 01<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[122],"doc_tag":[5920],"acf":[],"year_month":"2026-04","word_count":2097,"total_views":0,"reactions":{"happy":0,"normal":0,"sad":0},"author_info":{"name":"Priyanka","author_nicename":"priyanka6","author_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/author\/priyanka6"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"INDIAN POLITY","term_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs-category\/indian-polity"}],"doc_tag_info":[{"term_name":"Supreme Court","term_url":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/docs-tag\/supreme-court"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/136331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136331"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/136331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148306,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/136331\/revisions\/148306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=136331"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=136331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}