Supreme Court Reaffirms Doctrine of Precedent: Upholding Judicial Discipline and Legal Certainty
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The Supreme Court has reiterated that rulings by larger benches are strictly binding on smaller benches to maintain the hierarchical integrity of the judiciary. This reaffirmation of the 'Doctrine of Precedent' is vital for ensuring consistency in the rule of law and preventing judicial chaos.
The Supreme Court of India recently reinforced the 'Doctrine of Precedent' and the necessity of judicial discipline within the country’s legal framework. The Court emphasized that a decision rendered by a larger bench is binding on a bench of lesser strength. Even if a smaller bench doubts the correctness of a prior ruling by a larger bench, it does not have the authority to ignore or bypass that precedent.
The 'Doctrine of Precedent', or 'stare decisis', is a fundamental feature of the Indian common law system. It ensures that like cases are decided alike, providing legal certainty, predictability, and stability. The Court noted that if judicial discipline is not maintained, the consistency of the law would be compromised, leading to confusion among litigants and lower courts. Under Article 141 of the Constitution, the law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all courts within the territory of India. This hierarchy extends internally within the Supreme Court itself; a two-judge bench must follow the law laid down by a three-judge bench, and so on.
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