Article 142
Supreme Court's Power to Do Complete Justice
Article 142(1) of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to pass any decree or make any order "as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it." This is often described as the Supreme Court's plenary or extraordinary power, which can be exercised even if it goes beyond existing statutory provisions. The power is meant to supplement, not supplant, existing law, and can be used only when a matter is pending before the Court. It has been invoked in landmark situations such as the Bhopal gas tragedy settlement, the Ayodhya title dispute, and various environmental protection orders.
- Article 142(1): Supreme Court may pass any order necessary for "complete justice"
- Plenary in nature — can go beyond existing statutory framework
- Cannot be used to override substantive rights of litigants or create new law
- Used sparingly in extraordinary circumstances involving breakdown of normal mechanisms
- Notable use: Bhopal gas tragedy settlement (1989), coal block allocation cancellation, Cauvery water dispute implementation
● Tracked since February 27, 2026 · last seen August 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes