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The Supreme Court, judicial review and public interest litigation sheet
6-mark answer frame

Describe the composition of the Supreme Court of India and explain its three kinds of jurisdiction.

How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.

  1. 1 · Open. The Supreme Court is at the top of India's unified judiciary.
  2. 2 · Composition and appointment. It has a Chief Justice and other judges whose number Parliament fixes; the President appoints them, after consulting the Chief Justice and the collegium.
  3. 3 · Qualifications and tenure. A citizen who was a High Court judge for 5 years, an advocate for 10 years, or a distinguished jurist; serves until 65; removed only by impeachment.
  4. 4 · Original jurisdiction. It alone hears directly disputes between the Union and States, or between States.
  5. 5 · Appellate and advisory jurisdiction. It hears constitutional, civil and criminal appeals from High Courts and grants special leave; it gives non-binding opinions on questions the President refers.
  6. 6 · Close in one line. As guardian of the Constitution, it also uses judicial review to strike down unconstitutional laws.

Scoring tip: Split the answer: about two marks for how the Court is constituted, and four for the jurisdictions, each with one example.