This page outlines the principal jurisdictions of the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
Delhi High Court
- Writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution against the State and other authorities, for the issue of writs, directions and orders, and supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227, which is a power of superintendence over the courts and tribunals within the High Court’s territory and not an appellate jurisdiction
- Quashing of FIRs and criminal proceedings under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 482 CrPC). The power is exercised sparingly: where the allegations, even if accepted at face value, do not disclose an offence, where they are absurd or inherently improbable, where the proceedings are manifestly mala fide or instituted with an ulterior motive, or where their continuation would be an abuse of the process of the court. The principles are summarised in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335
- Bail, criminal appeals and revisions
- Civil appeals under the Code of Civil Procedure, including first appeals (Section 96), second appeals on a substantial question of law (Section 100) and revisions (Section 115)
- Judicial review of tribunal decisions, which the High Courts exercise under Articles 226 and 227 as held in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) 3 SCC 261
- Contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 and public interest litigation
- Matters under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
Supreme Court of India
- Special leave petitions under Article 136 against judgments, decrees and orders of any court or tribunal in India, other than those constituted under the law relating to the Armed Forces, most commonly orders of the High Courts and tribunals
- Appeals under Articles 132 to 134 and statutory appeals
- Writ petitions under Article 32 for the enforcement of fundamental rights
Under the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, petitions in the Supreme Court are filed through an Advocate-on-Record, and the practice works with Advocates-on-Record for this purpose.
Related practice areas
- Economic Offences and White-Collar Crime
- Startup and Employment Disputes
- Criminal Defence
- Property and Land Disputes
- Civil and Commercial Matters
- Matrimonial and Family Law
Last reviewed: October 2026