A Special Leave Petition — SLP — is the instrument by which a party approaches the Supreme Court of India seeking its discretionary intervention against any judgment, decree, determination, sentence, or order passed by any court or tribunal in the territory of India. Anchored in Article 136 of the Constitution, the SLP jurisdiction is unique in its breadth: it can be invoked against virtually any judicial determination, and the Supreme Court's decision to grant or refuse leave is entirely discretionary.
**Key structural points:** — Article 136 jurisdiction is discretionary, not a matter of right. The Supreme Court can refuse to grant leave without stating detailed reasons. — Filed within 60 or 90 days of the impugned order (depending on the nature of the proceeding), subject to condonation of delay. — Governed by the Supreme Court Rules, which prescribe the format, paper-book requirements, and procedural details. — Must be signed by an Advocate-on-Record (AoR); other counsel may argue only if the AoR is also on record. — Structure: cause title, list of dates, questions of law, grounds, prayer. A synopsis of the case is standard.
If leave is granted, the SLP converts to a civil or criminal appeal. If leave is refused, the matter ends (with rare exception via curative petition).
Practitioners who do substantial work in SLPs typically develop specialized drafting skills — the "questions of law" section is the heart of the petition, and crafting it precisely is what distinguishes granted from dismissed SLPs in the narrow space the Supreme Court has to examine each matter.