Law declared by Supreme Court to be binding on all courts
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Law Declared by the Supreme Court is Binding on All: Every judgment and constitutional guideline laid down by the Supreme Court is legally binding as the Law of the Land across all courts, police stations, and offices in India.
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 141 states: 'The law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within the territory of India.' This single sentence makes Supreme Court precedents—such as D.K. Basu arrest guidelines, Arnesh Kumar bail rules, Vishaka workplace safety rules, or the ban on Bulldozer Justice—immediately enforceable law across every district court, magistrate bench, and police station in India. Any officer or lower court defying a Supreme Court judgment commits Contempt of Court.
Key Constitutional Provisions
Right to cite Supreme Court judgments (like Lalita Kumari for mandatory FIR or Arnesh Kumar against mechanical arrest) directly before any police station or Magistrate
Uniform nationwide application of Fundamental Rights interpretations
Remedy of Contempt Petition if an authority wilfully disobeys binding Supreme Court guidelines
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
Under Article 141, the "Ratio Decidendi" (the core legal principle decided) is binding on all lower courts, while the Supreme Court itself remains free to review or overrule its own earlier decisions through a larger Constitutional Bench (Article 145(3) & 137).
Why This Matters in Daily Life
When a citizen tells a police officer, "Under the Supreme Court’s Lalita Kumari ruling, you cannot refuse to register my FIR for a cognizable offence," Article 141 is what gives those words the force of law.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: