Home The Constitution Part V Article 139A

Art. 139A Part V: The Union

Transfer of Certain Cases

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) Where cases involving the same or substantially the same questions of law are pending before the Supreme Court and one or more High Courts or before two or more High Courts and the Supreme Court is satisfied on its own motion or on an application made by the Attorney-General of India or by a party to any such case that such questions are substantial questions of general importance, the Supreme Court may withdraw the case or cases pending before the High Court or the High Courts and dispose of all the cases itself...

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

Added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), this Article lets the Supreme Court consolidate similar cases raising the same significant legal questions — pending across multiple High Courts, or between a High Court and the Supreme Court itself — into a single proceeding, avoiding inconsistent rulings on identical legal questions across different courts.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why, when a genuinely novel and significant legal question arises that's being litigated in several different High Courts simultaneously, the Supreme Court can pull all those related cases together for one unified, authoritative ruling, rather than risking different High Courts reaching conflicting conclusions.

Read alongside this one

Art. 141 — Law Declared by the Supreme Court to Be Binding on All Courts

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 139A

Who can request this kind of case transfer/consolidation?

The Supreme Court can act on its own initiative, or on application by the Attorney-General or any party to one of the relevant cases.

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The text above reproduces Article 139A of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.