Article 143 of the Constitution of India relates to the power of the President of India to consult the Supreme Court on questions of law or matters of public importance through the advisory jurisdiction conferred upon the court. The President makes a reference based on the advice of the Union council of ministers and it must be heard by a bench of at least five judges. The Court may elect to not provide an opinion and it has no legal binding or precedential value, when provided.

Article 143 of the Indian Constitution is located in Part V (The Union), specifically within Chapter IV which deals with The Union Judiciary.

Text

Uses Since 1950, there have been sixteen references made to the Court under this provision. The first reference was made in the Delhi Laws Act case (1951), and most recently in 2025, President Droupadi Murmu referred a set of fourteen legal questions to the Court in the In re: Assent, Withholding or Reservation of Bills by the Governor and the President of India.

See also

List of presidential references Supreme Court of India

References