Article 143 of the Constitution of India

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by Adityagoel
Last edited January 10, 2026


Part of a series on the
Constitution of India
Preamble
Parts
I ∙ II ∙ III ∙ IV ∙ IVA ∙ V ∙ VI ∙ VII
VIII ∙ IX ∙ IXA ∙ IXB ∙ X ∙ XI ∙ XII ∙ XIII ∙ XIV
XV ∙ XVI ∙ XVIA ∙ XVII ∙ XVIII ∙ XIX ∙ XX ∙ XXI
XXII
Schedules
First ∙ Second ∙ Third ∙ Fourth ∙ Fifth
Sixth ∙ Seventh ∙ Eighth ∙ Ninth
Tenth ∙ Eleventh ∙ Twelfth
Appendices
I ∙ II ∙ III ∙ IV ∙ V
Amendments
List ∙ 1 ∙ 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 4 ∙ 5 ∙ 6 ∙ 7 ∙ 8 ∙ 9 ∙ 10 ∙ 11 ∙ 12 ∙ 13 ∙ 14 ∙ 15 ∙ 16 ∙ 17 ∙ 18 ∙ 19 ∙ 20 ∙ 21 ∙ 22 ∙ 23 ∙ 24 ∙ 25 ∙ 26 ∙ 27 ∙ 28 ∙ 29 ∙ 30 ∙ 31 ∙ 32 ∙ 33 ∙ 34 ∙ 35 ∙ 36 ∙ 37 ∙ 38 ∙ 39 ∙ 40 ∙ 41 ∙ 42 ∙ 43 ∙ 44 ∙ 45 ∙ 46 ∙ 47 ∙ 48 ∙ 49 ∙ 50 ∙ 51 ∙ 52 ∙ 53 ∙ 54 ∙ 55 ∙ 56 ∙ 57 ∙ 58 ∙ 59 ∙ 60 ∙ 61 ∙ 62 ∙ 63 ∙ 64 ∙ 65 ∙ 66 ∙ 67 ∙ 68 ∙ 69 ∙ 70 ∙ 71 ∙ 72 ∙ 73 ∙ 74 ∙ 75 ∙ 76 ∙ 77 ∙ 78 ∙ 79 ∙ 80 ∙ 81 ∙ 82 ∙ 83 ∙ 84 ∙ 85 ∙ 86 ∙ 87 ∙ 88 ∙ 89 ∙ 90 ∙ 91 ∙ 92 ∙ 93 ∙ 94 ∙ 95 ∙ 96 ∙ 97 ∙ 98 ∙ 99 ∙ 100 ∙ 101 ∙ 102 ∙ 103 ∙ 104
Related topics


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.[1] The President makes a reference based on the advice of the Union council of ministers and it must heard by a bench of minimum five judges. The Court may elect to not provide an opinion and it has no legal binding or precedential value, when provided.[2]

Article 143 of the Indian Constitution is located in Part V (The Union), specifically within Chapter IV which deals with The Union Judiciary.[3][4]

Text[edit | edit source]

143. Power of President to consult Supreme Court

(1) If at any time it appears to the President that a question of law or fact has arisen, or is likely to arise, which is of such a nature and of such public importance that it is expedient to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court upon it, he may refer the question to that Court for consideration and the Court may, after such hearing as it thinks fit, report to the President its opinion thereon.

(2) The President may, notwithstanding anything in the proviso to article 131, refer a dispute of the kind mentioned in the said proviso to the Supreme Court for opinion and the Supreme Court shall, after such hearing as it thinks fit, report to the President its opinion thereon.

Uses[edit | edit source]

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.[2]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Advisory Jurisdiction (Article 143) - Academike". 4 February 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 R, Rangarajan (19 May 2025). "What is a Presidential reference? | Explained". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "Article 143: Power of President to consult Supreme Court". Constitution of India. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "The Supreme Court's Advisory Jurisdiction in Indian Constitutional History". Constitution of India. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Article_143_of_the_Constitution_of_India&oldid=487591"
Discover more