Know about Supreme Court of India

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Know All About Supreme Court of India
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• As the highest court in India, the Supreme
  Courts judgments are binding on all other courts
  in the country. It serves both as the final court
  of appeals and final interpreter of the
  Constitution. Owing to these vast powers, many
  including Attorney General K.K. Venugopal have
  labelled it among the most powerful courts in the
  world. Its authority stems from the Constitution
  of India.

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Supreme Court History

• The Federal Court of India was created as per the
  Government of India Act 1935.
• This court settled disputes between provinces and
  federal states and heard appeals against
  judgements of the high courts.
• After independence, the Federal Court and the
  Judicial Committee of the Privy Council were
  replaced by the Supreme Court of India, which
  came into being in January 1950.
• The Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme
  Court with one Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges.
• The number of SC judges was increased by the
  Parliament and currently, there are 34 judges
  including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

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Supreme Court of India Functions

• It takes up appeals against the verdicts of the
  High Courts, other courts and tribunals.
• It settles disputes between various government
  authorities, between state governments, and
  between the centre and any state government.
• It also hears matters which the President refers
  to it, in its advisory role.
• The SC can also take up cases suo moto (on its
  own).
• The law that SC declares is binding on all the
  courts in India and on the Union as well as the
  state governments.

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What types of cases does it hear?

• The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the
  authority to hear a wide range of cases. Its
  jurisdiction is generally classified into
  original, appellate and advisory.
• Under its original jurisdiction, the Court
  enforces fundamental rights, hears federal
  disputes and can transfer cases. As a guardian of
  fundamental rights, the Court serves to protect
  citizens from the excesses of the legislature and
  executive. With regards to federal disputes, the
  Court has the exclusive authority to settle
  disputes between the Union and a state, or
  between two states. Finally, its original
  jurisdiction also empowers it to transfer cases
  for example from one High Court to another.

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• While cases that fall under the Courts original
  jurisdiction generally garner the most public
  attention, cases that fall under its appellate
  and extraordinary appellate jurisdictions make up
  a vast majority of its docket. Its appellate
  authority allows it to hear constitutional, civil
  and criminal appeals against High Court
  judgments. Subject to a few exceptions, litigants
  seeking to appeal a High Court judgment, must
  first seek 'leave' from the High Court. Meaning,
  the High Court has to certify that the appeal
  entails a question that needs to be settled by
  the Supreme Court.

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Eligibility of a judge of the Supreme Court

• A citizen of India not exceeding 65 years age per
  Article 124 of the Constitution who has been
• a judge of one high court or more (continuously),
  for at least five years,
• an advocate there, for at least ten years,
• a distinguished jurist, in the opinion of the
  president, power conferred by clause 2 of article
  124 of the Constitution of India is eligible to
  be recommended for appointment, a judge of the
  Supreme Court.
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