{"id":57597,"date":"2023-06-06T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T04:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=57597"},"modified":"2025-07-09T13:53:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T08:23:26","slug":"special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Leave Petition Under Article 136 Of the Constitution of India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Chapter IV of Part V of the Indian Constitution discusses the responsibilities, authority, and abilities of the Supreme Court of India, which is responsible for dealing with appeals related to cases that individuals may not be content with the judgment of the High Court in a specific state. Article 136 of the Constitution provides a solution for such cases. The Supreme Court has the discretion to grant a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/special-leave-petition\">special leave petition<\/a><\/strong> (SLP) after examining the details of the case. This article is not limited to specific cases. Article 136 was formerly known as Draft Article 112 in the Indian Constitution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#The_Concept_of_Special_Leave_Petition\" >The Concept of Special Leave Petition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Significance_Of_the_Term_%E2%80%98Special_In_Special_Leave_Petition\" >Significance Of the Term \u2018Special\u2019 In Special Leave Petition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Grounds_For_Special_Leave_Petition\" >Grounds For Special Leave Petition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Procedure_For_Filing_a_Special_Leave_Petition\" >Procedure For Filing a Special Leave Petition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Article_136_Of_the_Constitution_of_India\" >Article 136 Of the Constitution of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#The_Discretionary_Power_of_The_Supreme_Court_Under_Article_136_Of_the_Indian_Constitution\" >The Discretionary Power of The Supreme Court Under\nArticle 136 Of the Indian Constitution<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#The_Scope_of_Special_Leave_Petition_Under_Article_136\" >The Scope of Special Leave Petition Under Article 136<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Filing_Writ_Petition_After_the_Dismissal_of_Special_Leave_Petition_by_The_Supreme_Court\" >Filing Writ Petition After the Dismissal of Special Leave Petition by The Supreme\nCourt<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/special-leave-petition-under-article-136-of-the-constitution-of-india\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Concept_of_Special_Leave_Petition\"><\/span>The Concept of Special Leave Petition <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term &#8220;special leave to appeal&#8221; originates from the Government of India Act, 1935 and it allows the affected party to appeal in the Supreme Court of India against any judgment, decree, order, decision, or punishment of a court or tribunal in India. However, this provision does not apply to cases heard in military courts or court-martial, which is similar to the UK Constitution. This privilege is not a guaranteed right for Indian citizens, but it is granted to the Supreme Court under the Indian Constitution. Article 136 of the Indian Constitution allows for the filing of special leave petitions for both final and intermediate orders. Additionally, if a certificate of fitness for appeal under Article 134A of the Constitution is denied by the High Court, a special leave petition can still be filed with the <strong>Supreme Court of India.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\na Special Leave Petition (SLP) to be considered for granting, it must include\nall the relevant facts that are necessary for the court&#8217;s decision. An Advocate\non record must sign the petition, and it must also declare that the petitioner\nhas not submitted any other petition to the High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Significance_Of_the_Term_%E2%80%98Special_In_Special_Leave_Petition\"><\/span>Significance Of the Term \u2018Special\u2019 In Special Leave Petition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>A pertinent issue is what sets apart Article 136 from the general appeals available under Articles 132-135 of the Indian Constitution:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It is not limited to appeals against judgments, decrees, and final orders of the High Court but also covers judgments of lower courts in India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\n     is more flexible than Articles 132-135 and allows appeals against\n     interlocutory and interim judgments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Special\n     Leave Petition can be filed in criminal or civil cases, income tax-related\n     cases, cases from various tribunals, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     appellant is expected to have exhausted all other legal remedies before\n     filing a Special Leave Petition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A\n     special Leave Petition can also be filed when a High Court denies the\n     certificate of appeal to the Supreme Court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grounds_For_Special_Leave_Petition\"><\/span>Grounds For Special Leave Petition <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>The wide scope of Article 136 indicates that certainly, reasonable grounds must exist for filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in order for it to be accepted by the Apex Court. In the case of Kapildeo Singh v. The King, the Federal Court considered the rulings of the Privy Council and noted the following points:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Permission to appeal in criminal cases is only granted for clear departure from justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Criminal\n     proceedings are reviewed for legal process disregard, violation of natural\n     justice principles, or grave injustice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mere\n     mistakes, like admitting improper evidence, are not considered grave\n     injustice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     court is not concerned with formal rules in criminal matters brought\n     through special leave petitions but looks for miscarriage of justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     court interferes in a criminal trial only for something outrageous or\n     shocking that disrupts justice delivery or when the accused is not given a\n     fair trial and protection of the law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Procedure_For_Filing_a_Special_Leave_Petition\"><\/span>Procedure For Filing a Special Leave Petition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>To file a Special Leave Petition, a party must adhere to the following steps:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Supreme      Court provides a predefined format for Special Leave Petitions in Form No.      28.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      petitioner must clearly state all relevant facts to convince the Supreme      Court that the Special Leave Petition is maintainable, and the aggrieved      party has the right to be heard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      Special Leave Petition should include personal details, such as name, age,      and address of all parties involved, and details of the court or tribunal      whose judgment has been challenged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      substantial question of law arising in the case should be clearly      specified in the petition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      grounds for making the appeal must be explicitly mentioned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      prayer clause at the end of the petition should specify the relief being      sought from the Supreme Court.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If      interim relief is sought during the petition, the party must mention it      with the grounds for the relief.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      aggrieved party must declare that no appeal against the order or decree      has been filed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An      Advocate-on-record must sign the petition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      draft of the Special Leave Petition with payment of necessary fees must be      filed with the registry along with seven copies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The      Supreme Court decides whether to grant special leave or not after      considering the facts and circumstances of the petition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once      the leave to file an appeal is granted, the Supreme Court exercises its      appellate jurisdiction and issues a binding decision for the parties      involved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Article_136_Of_the_Constitution_of_India\"><\/span>Article 136 Of the Constitution of India <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nSupreme Court holds the residual power to hear appeals against judgments made\nby courts or tribunals throughout the territory of India, except for military\ncourts or court-martials. The Supreme Court is responsible for interpreting the\nConstitution and its decisions are binding on other courts. It has the\nauthority to uphold the fundamental rights of citizens and strike down any law\nthat is deemed unconstitutional. Due to its extensive powers, the Supreme Court\nonly hears appeals on specific matters to manage the high volume of cases. As a\nresult, the Indian Constitution sets out certain conditions under which an\nappeal to the Supreme Court can be made. This unique permission allows an\naffected party to file a petition against any court or tribunal&#8217;s decision or\norder. The term &#8220;special leave to appeal&#8221; was initially taken from\nthe Government of India Act, 1935, and has since been a topic of discussion, as\nit provides the Supreme Court with the broadest possible jurisdiction at any\npoint in the legal process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As\nper Article 136 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the authority to\ndecide whether to grant permission to appeal against judgments, orders,\ndecrees, determinations, or sentences passed by any court or tribunal within\nthe boundaries of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Submitting\na Special Leave Petition (SLP) is not a guaranteed right for citizens, but a\nprivilege that depends on the Supreme Court&#8217;s discretion. The Court has the\noption to decline the SLP, making it solely an opportunity to request the SLP,\nwith its acceptance entirely up to the Court. Regarding the broad authority of\nthe Supreme Court in this regard, a Constitution Bench in Dhakeshwari Cotton\nMills Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, West Bengal declared that it is not\npossible to establish the boundaries of this power. Hence, it must be used\ncarefully and only in extraordinary situations. Nonetheless, it is crucial that\nthe Supreme Court performs its responsibility to ensure that no court in the\ncountry administers injustice, and if it does, the Supreme Court can be\napproached. Otherwise, the purpose of Article 136 would be unsuccessful. It is\nnot beneficial to restrict the authority and extent of the Article, but rather\nto use it carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Discretionary_Power_of_The_Supreme_Court_Under_Article_136_Of_the_Indian_Constitution\"><\/span><strong>T<\/strong>he Discretionary Power of The Supreme Court Under\nArticle 136 Of the Indian Constitution<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Article 136 of the Indian Constitution grants significant power to the Supreme Court, including the following:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Residual power:<\/strong> The Supreme Court can utilize its residual power under Article 136 to intervene in cases where there has been gross injustice or where a substantial question of law is involved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extraordinary\n     jurisdiction<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> The article also empowers the\n     Supreme Court to address serious miscarriages of justice, with the\n     authority to pass judgments to provide justice to the aggrieved party.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited\n     jurisdiction:<\/strong> Unlike regular courts, where\n     anyone can file an appeal against the order, judgment, or decree of the\n     High Court or any lower court or tribunal, the Supreme Court does not\n     function in the same way. Instead, it can only be approached in\n     exceptional cases where Article 136 applies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus,\nit is crucial for a party to approach the court only in exceptional\ncircumstances and not as a regular course of action. Additionally, the power\ngranted to the Supreme Court under Article 136 is discretionary, which means\nthat the court has the authority to decide whether or not to grant permission\nto file an appeal via a special leave petition, even if it is not a regular\ncourse of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Scope_of_Special_Leave_Petition_Under_Article_136\"><\/span>The Scope of Special Leave Petition Under Article 136 <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nIndian Constitution grants discretionary power to the Supreme Court of India,\nwhich allows it to decide whether or not to grant a special leave petition for\nan appeal against a judgement or decree made by a court or tribunal in India.\nThe Supreme Court may choose to grant or refuse leave to appeal, as it deems\nfit. It is not a right for the aggrieved party to claim special leave to appeal\nfrom the judgement or decree of the High Court, rather it is a privilege solely\nvested with the Supreme Court of India. If there is any constitutional or legal\nissue that requires clarification by the Supreme Court, the aggrieved party may\napproach the Apex Court under Article 136, which can be heard as a civil or\ncriminal appeal, as applicable. This residual power is specifically vested in\nthe Supreme Court of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nSupreme Court can grant a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in civil cases under\nArticle 136, but only if there is a substantial question of law involved or if\nthe issue affects the public interest. As for criminal cases, the Supreme Court\nwill only grant an appeal by way of special leave if there are exceptional\ncircumstances that show grave injustice has occurred, which requires the Apex\nCourt&#8217;s intervention. The granting of a Special Leave Petition is a\ndiscretionary power and not a matter of right for the parties involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Filing_Writ_Petition_After_the_Dismissal_of_Special_Leave_Petition_by_The_Supreme_Court\"><\/span>Filing Writ Petition After the Dismissal of Special Leave Petition by The Supreme\nCourt<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Filing a writ petition before the High Court after a Special Leave Petition against an order of the Tribunal is a separate proceeding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Questions\n     decided by the Supreme Court while dismissing the Special Leave Petition\n     cannot be reopened in a subsequent writ proceeding before the High Court.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     principle of res judicata or any principle of public policy cannot bar the\n     trial of the same issues in a separate proceeding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     writ proceeding before the High Court can be filed even if the Special\n     Leave Petition is dismissed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\n     court should not refuse to consider a writ petition solely based on the\n     ground that a non-speaking order of the Supreme Court dismissed a Special\n     Leave Petition filed by the petitioner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Article 136 of the Indian Constitution serves two main objectives: ensuring proper administration of justice and finality of interim orders. This provision is flexible enough to achieve both purposes. However, orders that deny special leave to appeal while keeping the legal issue unresolved lack certainty and contradict the article&#8217;s spirit. The Court can still address the legal question in appeal under Article 136 once leave is granted, so there is no need to keep it open for the future. Thus, it is advisable that the Court avoids leaving the question of law unsettled while dismissing a special leave petition to ensure both finality and certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our Article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/caveat-petition-format-in-district-court\/\">Caveat Petition Format In District Court<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter IV of Part V of the Indian Constitution discusses the responsibilities, authority, and abilities of the Supreme Court of India, which is responsible for dealing with appeals related to cases that individuals may not be content with the judgment of the High Court in a specific state. Article 136 of the Constitution provides a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":57605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[272],"tags":[3721],"acf":{"service_id":"807"},"authorName":"Maithli Jha","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MicrosoftTeams-image-1-22.jpg","authorDescription":"Maithli is a final-year law student at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) with a keen interest in emerging legal fields. She is committed to constantly learning and utilizing her theoretical knowledge in practical ways within the field of law.","postViews":3064,"readingTime":7,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57597"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57597"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69631,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57597\/revisions\/69631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}