Law of India

Module 3

Courts, judges and the legal profession: the integrated hierarchy, the Supreme Court, High Courts, subordinate courts, judicial independence, public interest litigation, advocates and legal education

India has **one integrated judiciary**, not separate federal and State courts as in the United States. At the top is the **Supreme Court**; below it sit the **High Courts**, usually one for each State or group of States; and below them the **district and subordinate courts**. The Constitution protects the independence of judges, and the courts have taken on a wide role: they review laws and executive action, and through **public interest litigation** they hear the complaints of people who could not come to court themselves. The legal profession is regulated by a single statute, the **Advocates Act of 1961**. This module follows the structure and asks: which court, with what power, and who may appear?

General education on Indian law, using invented people and businesses. It states constitutional provisions, statutes and landmark decisions in simplified form, and it is not legal advice. The law changes and every case turns on its facts. Consult an advocate enrolled in India for any real matter.