Hierarchy of Courts in India
Hierarchy of Courts in India
Hierarchy of Courts in India
India
Descending Hierarchy
Supreme Court
High Courts
Supreme Appellate
Court
Advisory
► Original jurisdiction empowers the Sc to hear cases
brought directly before it without being heard in any
of the lower courts before.
► Original jurisdiction in cases involving GOI and
states.
► Article 32 of COI
Supreme ► Article139A: cases involving substantially the same
questions of law pending before SC and one or more
High Courts or before two or more High Courts may
Court withdraw a case or cases pending before the High
Court or High Courts and dispose of all such cases
itself.
► Matters of international commercial arbitration may
also be directly heard by the SC.
► Civil matters of pecuniary value of Rs. 1 crore and
above- original civil jurisdiction
► Appellate jurisdiction over all the cases which
are brought in appeal before it.
► Relevant articles are 132(1), 133(1) and 134
Supreme where AJ is invoked by a certificate granted by
the HC.
Court ► Power to grant appeal through special leave
under Article 136- it extends to all the courts
and tribunals
► Has appellate jurisdiction over matters of trade,
income tax, customs, excise, securities, family matters,
contempt, professional misconduct, etc.
► Articles 129 and 142 empower the SC to punish for
Supreme contempt of court including contempt of itself.
► The SC also has the power to review its own
Court judgement or order under Article 137 of the COI in
case of an error apparent on the record:
- Example: NEET (2013)- was held valid subsequently
► Curative Petition: evolved in Rupa Hurra vs. Ashok
Hurra
► The court ruled that a curative petition can be
entertained if the petitioner establishes there was a
violation of the principles of natural justice, and that
Supreme he was not heard by the court before passing an order.
► It will also be admitted where a judge failed to disclose
Court facts that raise the apprehension of bias.
► The SC has held that curative petitions must be rare
rather than regular, and be entertained with
circumspection.
► A curative petition must be accompanied by
certification by a senior advocate, pointing
out substantial grounds for entertaining it.
It must be first circulated to a bench of the
Supreme three senior most judges, and the judges
who passed the concerned judgment, if
Court available. Only when a majority of the
judges conclude that the matter needs
hearing should it be listed — as far as
possible, before the same Bench.