Article 136 Of The Indian Constitution

The duties, authority, and powers of the Supreme Court of India and the nature of jurisdiction are outlined in Chapter IV, “The Union Judiciary,” of Part V of the Indian Constitution. A person may not be happy with the decision made by the High Court of a certain state for a variety of reasons. Article 136 of the Indian Constitution may serve as a remedy in these circumstances.

The Supreme Court’s unusual leave to appeal is covered in Article 136. It implies that any judgment rendered by a court or tribunal may be contested inside Indian territory. The decision to grant exceptional leave is up to the Supreme Court (except for military tribunal and court-martial).

This piece of information is helpful in comprehending the meaning of Article 136 and is beneficial for the preparation of UPSC CSE as it is a part of the Indian Polity of IAS Syllabus.

What Is Article 136 Of The Indian Constitution?

The Supreme Court, India’s highest court, has been given a special jurisdiction, according to Article 136 of the Indian Constitution. The said article only applies to judicial decisions. The constitutional provisions of Article 136 are mentioned below.

1. Despite the provisions of this Chapter, the Supreme Court may, at its discretion, grant special leave to appeal any judgment, decree, resolution, sentence, or order made by any court or tribunal within the Indian territory in any case or matter.
2. Nothing in clause (1) shall be applicable to any ruling, decision, sentence, or order rendered by a court or tribunal established by or operating under a law pertaining to the Armed Forces.

Article 136 A Constitutional Right

Additionally, the SC had claimed that the remedy provided for in Article 136 (Special Leave Petition) is a constitutional right. Therefore, the barrier can be circumvented by following one of the potential paths outlined in Articles 32, 131, or 136 of the Constitution.

1. In accordance with Article 32 of the Constitution, there are writs for Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo warranto that can be used to preserve constitutional rights.
2. Center-State or inter-State issues are generally covered by Article 131 (Original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court).

Breadth Of authority Granted To The Supreme Court By Article 136

The Supreme Court of India has “discretionary power,” according to the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court of India has the ability to grant special leave to appeal any decision, decree, or order rendered by any court or tribunal within the Indian subcontinent in any case. By using its discretion, the Supreme Court of India may also decide not to grant leave to appeal.

A party that has been wronged by a high court decision or decree cannot request special leave to appeal as a matter of right; rather, this is a prerogative that can only be used by the Supreme Court of India.

In the event that there is a constitutional or legal question that the Supreme Court of India can resolve, an aggrieved party may file a petition with the Apex Court under Article 136. Depending on the circumstances, this may be reviewed as a civil or criminal appeal.

Landmark Judgements

The decisions of courts in the following mentioned cases are discussed below:

Smt. Tej Kumari v. CIT

In Smt. Tej Kumari v. CIT (2000), it was decided that when a special leave petition is denied, the court makes no judgments about whether the order from which leave to appeal is requested is right or wrong. When a plea for special leave is denied under Article 136, the doctrine of merger does not apply.

Tirupati Balaji Developers Pvt. Ltd. Vs. State Of Bihar AIR 2004

This Court noted that Article 136 is an “extraordinary jurisdiction” granted by the Constitution to the Supreme Court with implicit confidence and faith and that it must be exercised with unusual care and caution. The court further pointed out that while Article 136 grants the Supreme Court broad discretion to be used in the interests of justice, duty, and eliminating injustice, it does not grant a party the right to appeal.

Jamshed Hormusji Wadia v. Board Of Trustees, Port Of Mumbai

The Supreme Court is only required to use its authority under Article 136 in exceptional circumstances, such as when a question of law of public significance arises, as was decided in the case of Jamshed Hormusji Wadia v. Board of Trustees, Port of Mumbai (2005).

N. Suriyakala v. A. Mohandoss & Others

According to the ruling in N. Suriyakala v. A. Mohandoss & Ors. (2007), Article 136 of the Constitution is not a typical forum for appeal at all. The court has the right to intervene in order to use its discretionary authority under the Article. It simply grants the Supreme Court a wide range of discretionary power to be used for upholding the demands of justice; it does not grant any parties to the dispute the ability to appeal.

What Distinguishes The Indian Constitution’s Articles 136 From Articles 132-135?

1. Only appeals against final orders may be heard by the supreme court under Articles 132 to 135 of the Constitution. However, under Article 136, the phrase “order” is not qualified by the adjective “final,” so the court may issue special leave to appeal even from an interlocutory order.
2. In accordance with Articles 132 to 134, a high court’s final decision is the only decision that is subject to appeal; but, under Article 136, the supreme court may give special leave to appeal from any court or tribunal, i.e., from any lower court than the high court, even if the appeal is not filed in accordance with the ordinary procedure in the high court or the applicable law does not provide for such an appeal.
3. In accordance with Articles 132 to 134, the supreme court may hear an appeal only in relation to a decision, ruling, sentence, or order of a court or tribunal; but, under Article 136, an appeal may be brought in relation to any case or subject matter.

Check out the linked articles from the table mentioned below to learn not only about Articles 132-135 but also other articles on Indian Polity.

Article 132 Of The Indian Constitution	Article 133 Of The Indian Constitution
Article 134 Of The Indian Constitution	Article 135 Of The Indian Constitution
Article 137 Of The Indian Constitution	Article 138 Of The Indian Constitution
Advisory Jurisdiction Of Supreme Court	Article 121 Of The Indian Constitution

Key Points

1. The Constituent Assembly debates about Draft Article 112 (Article 136) on 6 June 1949 and 16 October 1949. It was stated who had the power to grant special leave to appeal.
2. Compared to that provided by Article 134A, the authority afforded by Article 136 is more significant.
3. The Supreme Court can hear an appeal after the High Court issues a certificate of fitness in accordance with article 134A.
4. The Supreme Court made it plain that this authority should only be used in special circumstances in the Pritam Singh v. State decision.
5. The ability to give special leave falls under this.
6. The court’s exclusive authority comes from its own discretion.
7. The court has the authority to exercise this discretion in the event that the fundamental standards of justice have been breached and the lower court has made an error by failing to follow the law and the parties.
8. Because there is no acknowledged rule that establishes when the authority conferred by Article 136 may or may not be employed.
9. In this case, the Supreme Court has discretion.
10. The SC must first exercise discretion when deciding whether to grant or deny the requested Special Leave in the event of any SLP.
11. It is crucial to comprehend the SLP’s position with regard to the rulings of the Inter-State Water Dispute (ISWD) Tribunal when talking about them.
12. The SC is not permitted to hear or decide any appeals against the Inter-State Water Dispute (ISWD) Tribunal’s ruling under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956 or Article 262 (2) of the Constitution.
13. The ISWD Tribunals appear to be under the ambit of Article 136, which refers to “any Court or tribunal in the territory of India.”

Conclusion

Special leave petitions give the Supreme Court residual power. The decision of whether or not to grant such a petition rests with the court. The Supreme Court Rules’ specified limitation period must be followed while filing an SLP. If the lower court did not take into account certain information or did not reach a fair decision, special leave petitions are granted to ensure that justice is served. Both civil matters and criminal cases are eligible for special leave applications, but the Supreme Court must decide criminal matters with particular caution and skill. Unless there has been a court violation of due process, the Supreme Court should not get involved.

FAQs On Article 136