← 28 October 2026's Current Affairs · Polity GA Prelims ★★★★★ Mains ★★★☆☆
Supreme Court and the rising load of Special Leave Petitions
వార్తల్లో ఎందుకు?
Any court, almost any order, one exception: the Article 136 power behind the SLP debate
Debate on whether the Supreme Court hears too many SLPs under Article 136.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2019; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 నిమి
A fresh debate has opened over whether the Supreme Court is hearing too many Special Leave Petitions.
These petitions are filed under Article 136 of the Constitution, which lets the Court grant special leave to appeal against almost any judgment or order of any court or tribunal in India, other than those of military tribunals.
The discretionary nature of the power has made docket management a recurring concern.
మూలాలు: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ముఖ్య వాస్తవాలు
Remember these
- Article 136 empowers the Supreme Court to grant special leave to appeal against any judgment, decree, determination, sentence or order of any court or tribunal in India.
- Military tribunals (courts constituted by or under any law relating to the Armed Forces) are excluded from Article 136.
- The power is discretionary: the Court may grant or refuse special leave, and it is not a matter of right.
- A Special Leave Petition (SLP) is the petition filed to invoke Article 136.
- Article 132 covers appeals from High Courts in constitutional cases, while Article 226 gives High Courts writ powers.
ప్రిలిమ్స్ · మెయిన్స్
How the exam will ask it
ప్రిలిమ్స్
- Statement: Article 136 allows the Supreme Court to grant special leave to appeal from judgments of any court or tribunal in India, including military tribunals. (Incorrect: military tribunals are excluded.)
- Statement: The power under Article 136 is discretionary and extraordinary, so a litigant has no right to demand that special leave be granted. (Correct)
- Statement: An SLP can be filed only against orders of High Courts. (Incorrect: it lies against any court or tribunal, other than military tribunals.)
మెయిన్స్
GS2 Polity: Judiciary. Issue: the Supreme Court is said to be hearing too many SLPs, straining its docket. Provision: Article 136 gives it wide discretionary appellate power over almost any court or tribunal. Implication: the Court risks acting as an ordinary appellate court and delaying constitutional matters. Way forward: stricter admission filters, clear self-imposed guidelines on granting leave, and stronger appellate remedies below.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements:
- The motion to impeach a judge of the supreme court of India cannot be rejected by the speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
- The constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes 'incapacity and proved misbehaviour' of the judges of the Supreme Court of India.
- The details of the process of the impeachment of the judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
- If the motion of the impeachment of a judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each house of the parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that house and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2
- 3 only
- 3 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: C
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
A Special Leave Petition, which the Supreme Court is said to be hearing in very large numbers, is filed under which provision of the Constitution?
- Article 226
- Article 32
- Article 132
- Article 136
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: D — The correct answer is Article 136. Article 136 empowers the Supreme Court to grant special leave to appeal from any court or tribunal, other than military tribunals.
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