Question

Explain Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court.

Answer 1

Hint: The Supreme Court is the highest Court of the land. It has been vested with wider jurisdiction than other superior courts in any part of the country as per the Constitution of India.

Complete Step by Step answer: Original jurisdiction means cases which start in the Supreme Court and regarding which the Supreme Court has the exclusive jurisdiction. The Constitution of India divides powers between Centre and States. Howsoever neatly the powers between the two may have been distributed there are always possibilities of doubt and dispute. New situations demand new interpretations. Thus, the Supreme Court deals with
1. Disputes between the governments of India and one or more states.
2. Disputes between two or more states.
3. Disputes between the centre and one or more states on one side and other states on the other side.
4. When a citizens’ fundamental rights are curtailed by the government, he knocks at the door of either the Supreme Court or some High Court. The Supreme Court can issue Writ of Habeas Corpus, Writ of Mandamus, Writ of Prohibition, Certiorari and Quo-Warranto for the protection of rights. The Supreme Court is also empowered to decide any disputes relating to the election of the President or the Vice-President of India and in this regard the Supreme Court’s decision is final and binding. In the 1967 election of Dr. Zakir Hussain and in 1969, the election of President V.V. Giri was challenged in the Supreme Court. The court decided that the election was valid.

Note: The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is of fivefold – Original Jurisdiction, Writ Jurisdiction, Appellate Jurisdiction, Advisory Jurisdiction and Revisory Jurisdiction.