SSC
The provision that the Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court, including the power to punish for contempt of itself, is contained in:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Article 129
Detailed Solution
Article 129 provides that the Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court, including the power to punish for contempt of itself.
Meaning of a court of record:
- The judgments, proceedings and acts of the Supreme Court are recorded for perpetual memory and testimony.
- These records have evidentiary value and cannot be questioned when produced before any court.
- They are recognised as legal precedents and legal references.
Power to punish for contempt:
- The Supreme Court can punish for contempt of itself, with simple imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine of up to two thousand rupees, or both, under the Contempt of Courts Act.
- It has also held that it can punish for contempt of lower courts and tribunals.
Kinds of contempt:
- Civil contempt: wilful disobedience of any judgment, order or direction of a court, or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
- Criminal contempt: publication or act that scandalises or lowers the authority of a court, interferes with judicial proceedings, or obstructs the administration of justice.
Limits on contempt:
Innocent publication, fair and accurate reporting of judicial proceedings, and fair criticism of judicial acts are not contempt.
Important cases:
In the Prashant Bhushan case (2020), the Supreme Court held a well-known lawyer guilty of contempt for tweets and imposed a fine of one rupee.
Other features of the Supreme Court:
- Article 141 makes the law declared by the Supreme Court binding on all courts in India.
- Article 142 allows the Court to pass any decree or order necessary for doing complete justice.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 124 deals with the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court.
- ✗Good to know
- ✗Articles 141 and 142 deal with the binding nature of its law and its power to do complete justice.
Quick tip
Remember: Article 129 = Supreme Court as a court of record with power to punish for contempt.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Judiciary Questions
View all ›- Q1.Which Article provides that the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within the territory of India?
- Q2.The power of the High Courts to issue certain writs is mentioned in:
- Q3.The provision for the appointment of ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court is mentioned in:
- Q4.Which writ is issued by a court to protect a person against unlawful arrest or detention?
- Q5.The Contempt of Courts Act was passed in India in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Judiciary — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Judiciary, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Indian judiciary: the Supreme Court, High Courts and subordinate courts, the appointment and removal of judges, the collegium system, original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction, judicial review, public interest litigation, and bodies such as Lok Adalats and tribunals. Exams test the article that establishes the Supreme Court (Article 124), its advisory jurisdiction (Article 143), the power of High Courts to issue writs (Article 226), and the process for removing judges. Landmark judgments and the first holders of key judicial posts are also common, especially in law entrance exams such as CLAT and MAH LAW CET. Practise the judiciary questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.