SC: Clarity of judgment must to avoid dilemma

The Supreme Court on Friday suggested that its judges should explicitly clarify in their rulings whether a decision resolves a specific dispute or establishes a binding legal precedent, as it highlighted the distinction between its twin roles as the apex appellate authority and as a precedent-setting body.

- Utkarsh Anand

Underlining the necessity for clarity in its judgments to avoid dilemmas for subordinate courts, a bench of justices PS Narasimha and Pankaj Mithal emphasised that while the top court often decides individual cases under its appellate jurisdiction, not every ruling constitutes a binding precedent under Article 141 of the Constitution.