Quick answer: Supreme Court SLP
A Special Leave Petition under Article 136 of the Constitution asks the Supreme Court for permission to appeal against a judgment or order of a High Court or tribunal. It should generally be filed within 90 days of the judgment, and the Supreme Court grants leave mainly where there is a substantial question of law or grave injustice. Law Chambers of Mridul Jindal handles these matters in Ghaziabad, Noida and Delhi. Call +91-8800669834.
Lost in the High Court? The Supreme Court May Still Hear You
A High Court judgment is not always the end of the road. Under Article 136 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court of India can grant special leave to appeal against any judgment or order of a court or tribunal in India. A Special Leave Petition (SLP) is the most common way litigants reach the Supreme Court, in criminal, civil, matrimonial, service and commercial cases alike.
Special leave is discretionary, not a right. The Supreme Court admits only a small share of the SLPs filed each year. Whether yours is heard often depends on how clearly the petition shows a substantial question of law or a serious injustice, within the first few pages a judge reads.
The Law Chambers of Mridul Jindal prepares and argues SLPs for clients across India, including NRIs, from High Courts in every state. Adv. Mridul Jindal regularly appears before the Supreme Court and is a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
SLPs We Handle
Criminal SLPs: rejection of bail or anticipatory bail, refusal to quash an FIR or chargesheet, conviction and sentence, cancellation of bail, and 498A / dowry and other matrimonial criminal cases.
Civil SLPs: property, partition and title disputes, second appeals, execution proceedings, landlord–tenant and property matters, arbitration (Section 34 and 37 orders) and commercial suits.
Writ and service SLPs: orders passed by High Courts in writ jurisdiction, including service matters, recruitment, pension and disciplinary proceedings, and decisions in writ petitions against government action.
Family and matrimonial SLPs: transfer petitions, custody, maintenance and divorce decrees. Transfer of a matrimonial case from one state to another is filed directly before the Supreme Court under Section 25 CPC.
Orders of most tribunals (for example DRAT, RERA Appellate Tribunals or consumer commissions) usually have to be challenged first before the High Court or through the statutory appeal, unless the statute provides a direct appeal to the Supreme Court. We advise on the correct route before anything is filed.
Timelines, Delay and Interim Relief
Limitation: Under Order XXII of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, an SLP must be filed within 90 days of the High Court judgment. If the High Court has refused a certificate of fitness to appeal, the limit is 60 days from that refusal. The time taken to obtain a certified copy is excluded.
Condonation of delay: If the deadline has passed, an SLP can still be filed with an application for condonation of delay. The application has to explain the reasons honestly and in detail, because the Court looks closely at unexplained delay.
Stay and interim protection: We file applications for stay of the impugned order, protection from arrest, suspension of sentence or status quo on property along with the SLP. Where needed, we ask for urgent listing.
Caveat: If you won in the High Court and expect the other side to approach the Supreme Court, a caveat makes sure no interim order is passed against you without you being heard.
How We Work and What to Send Us
Step 1, case assessment: We read the High Court judgment and the trial record and give you a frank view on whether an SLP is likely to be admitted, what relief is realistic, and whether a review before the High Court is the better first step.
Step 2, drafting: We prepare the synopsis and list of dates, the questions of law, the grounds, the annexures and the interim application. SLPs are filed through an Advocate-on-Record, as the Supreme Court Rules require, and we coordinate the filing, defect curing and listing.
Step 3, admission hearing: At the first hearing the Court either issues notice to the other side or dismisses the petition. We prepare a short, focused argument for this stage. If notice is issued, we follow through to the final hearing.
After dismissal: A review petition can be filed within 30 days on limited grounds, and a curative petition is available only in rare cases (Rupa Ashok Hurra, 2002).
Documents to send: the certified or downloaded copy of the High Court judgment, the trial court or lower court orders, pleadings and key evidence, the dates of each order, and details of any interim order in force. Clients outside Delhi can do everything online. Please contact us as early as possible, ideally within a few weeks of the judgment. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions on SLPs
Under Order XXII of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, an SLP must be filed within 90 days of the High Court judgment, or within 60 days of an order refusing a certificate of fitness to appeal. The time taken to obtain a certified copy is excluded. A delayed SLP can be filed with an application for condonation of delay explaining sufficient cause.
No. Article 136 gives the Supreme Court discretion to grant special leave. It usually intervenes where there is a substantial question of law, grave injustice, or a clear error in the High Court's decision. That is why the petition must be drafted to show these grounds clearly from the first page.
Yes. An application for interim relief or stay can be filed with the SLP and is usually considered when the matter is first listed. In criminal matters, interim protection from arrest or suspension of sentence can be sought in the same way.
A review petition can be filed within 30 days on limited grounds such as an error apparent on the face of the record. In rare cases, a curative petition is possible under Rupa Ashok Hurra (2002). Depending on the order, a review before the High Court may also remain open, since a non-speaking dismissal of an SLP does not merge the High Court order (Kunhayammed, 2000).
Considering an SLP in the Supreme Court?
The 90-day limit runs from the High Court judgment. Speak to Adv. Mridul Jindal early about whether an SLP is the right remedy.
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