Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India - The Constitution of India 2024 (English Version)↗
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Article 136: Special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court
Gives the Supreme Court discretionary power to grant special leave to appeal from judgments, decrees, determinations, sentences, or orders in specified judicial or tribunal matters.
Part Vactive
In this article
What it means
Plain-language explanation
Where you notice it
Daily civic life
How it protects you
Citizen protection
What to remember
Exam and recall pointers
What it means
Simple explanation
Article 136 lets the Supreme Court hear exceptional appeals even when ordinary appeal routes may be limited.
Practical daily-life use
Where citizens notice it
- Relevant when a case seeks Supreme Court review through special leave.
- Helps understand that the Supreme Court does not automatically hear every case.
How it protects you
Citizen protection context
- Provides a discretionary safety valve for serious legal injustice.
- Allows national-level correction in exceptional cases.
Example situations
General civic examples
- A party files a special leave petition after a High Court judgment.
- The Supreme Court refuses leave because no exceptional issue is shown.
Citizen note
Learning note
Special leave is discretionary; filing a petition does not guarantee a hearing on merits.
Exam pointers
What to remember
- Article 136 is discretionary and wide.
- It is not an ordinary appeal as of right.
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Source references
Verification basis
Last reviewed against official sources: 2026-05-20.