Introduction & Context

India's Supreme Court was established on 28 January 1950, inheriting the jurisdiction of the Federal Court of India (1937–1950) and the Privy Council (the highest appellate body pre-independence). It is housed in New Delhi and constituted under Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution (Articles 124–147).

Why the SC Matters Beyond Adjudication

The Supreme Court's role extends far beyond settling disputes. Through judicial review and Public Interest Litigation, it has become an active participant in India's constitutional democracy — interpreting rights, enforcing governance obligations, and shaping public policy in ways that have no parallel in Westminster-model judiciaries. This expansive role, celebrated as democratic activism and sometimes criticised as judicial overreach, defines the Indian judiciary's distinctive character.

The E-Courts Dimension

The e-courts transformation, accelerated dramatically by COVID-19 but rooted in the 2007 National Policy and Action Plan, represents the third dimension of this topic. It is the technological modernisation of a justice delivery system burdened by over 4 crore pending cases.

Pendency Crisis — Scale:

Court Level	Pending Cases (2025)
Supreme Court	~80,000
High Courts	~62 lakh
District & Subordinate	~3.8 crore
Total	~4.4 crore

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