Jurisdiction of the Federal Court Exercisable by Supreme Court
Official heading: “Jurisdiction and powers of the Federal Court under existing law to be exercisable by the Supreme Court”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part V, Article 135, printed page 63
- Last human source-link check
- Not yet checked
- Last human legal review
- Not yet reviewed
AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.
1. In One Sentence
Article 135 vests the Supreme Court with all jurisdiction and powers that were exercisable by the pre-independence Federal Court of India under existing law prior to commencement.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Article 135 is a transitional yet enduring jurisdiction-preserving provision.
Prior to the commencement of the Constitution on 26 January 1950, the Federal Court of India exercised appellate jurisdiction under the Government of India Act, 1935 and related federal statutes.
Article 135 ensures that no legal dispute fell into a jurisdictional vacuum upon the transition to the Republic.
Until Parliament provides otherwise by law, the Supreme Court possesses all jurisdiction and powers in relation to any matter not falling within Article 133 or 134, if jurisdiction in that matter was exercisable by the Federal Court immediately before commencement under any existing law.
This historical bridge ensures that historical appellate rights existing prior to 1950 remain fully enforceable before the Supreme Court.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
An appeal arising from a dispute initiated in 1948 under pre-independence commercial legislation did not meet the modern valuation thresholds of post-1950 articles.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 135 secures complete jurisdictional continuity from the Federal Court to the Supreme Court of India.
- Transitional continuity: Transferred all Federal Court powers to the Supreme Court.
- Applies to matters outside Articles 133 and 134.
- Prevents loss of appellate remedies during the constitutional transition of 1950.
- Subject to alteration by parliamentary law.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 135, printed page 63 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.