Article 130 of the Constitution of India decides where the Supreme Court sits. It provides that the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi, or in such other place or places as the Chief Justice of India may, with the approval of the President, from time to time appoint.
What Article 130 says
The provision has two parts:
- The default seat is Delhi. The Supreme Court ordinarily sits in Delhi.
- Other places are possible. The Chief Justice of India may appoint another place or places for sittings, but only with the President's approval.
Article 130 does not itself create benches outside Delhi. It gives the Chief Justice the power, with presidential approval, to do so. The Supreme Court has continued to sit in Delhi.
अनुच्छेद 130 क्या है?
संविधान का अनुच्छेद 130 सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के स्थान (seat) से संबंधित है। इसके अनुसार सर्वोच्च न्यायालय दिल्ली में बैठेगा, या ऐसे अन्य स्थान या स्थानों पर जिन्हें भारत के मुख्य न्यायाधीश राष्ट्रपति के अनुमोदन से समय-समय पर नियत करें। यानी दिल्ली के बाहर बैठक संभव है, लेकिन इसके लिए मुख्य न्यायाधीश का निर्णय और राष्ट्रपति का अनुमोदन दोनों आवश्यक हैं।
The debate on regional benches
Litigants from distant States bear the cost of travelling to Delhi, which has led to repeated proposals for regional benches. The Law Commission of India, in its 229th Report (2009), recommended a Constitution Bench in Delhi for constitutional matters and four regional cassation benches (North at Delhi, South at Chennai or Hyderabad, East at Kolkata and West at Mumbai) to hear appeals from the High Courts of each region. The proposal was not adopted. In 2020 the Law Ministry told the Lok Sabha that the idea of a Supreme Court bench outside Delhi had not found favour with the Supreme Court. Supporters point to access to justice; critics point to consistency of precedent and the unity of the Court. Any such change would rely on the power in Article 130.
Remote hearings have reduced some of the travel burden, but filings and listings still follow the Supreme Court's own rules and practice directions.
Related provisions
- Article 124: establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court.
- Article 129: the Supreme Court as a court of record, with power to punish for contempt of itself.
- Article 131 onwards: the Court's original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction.
Using Article 130 in practice and study
For exam answers, quote the text, explain the role of the Chief Justice and the President, and add the regional benches debate. For practice, the more useful materials are the Supreme Court Rules and current practice directions. See our guide to structuring a special leave petition, read about Article 15, or browse the law guides library.
For another constitutional provision often asked alongside it, read Article 267 and the Contingency Fund of India.