Optional Grouping: Writ Petitions

Payment for filing writ petitions

  • Supreme Court

For writ petitions except for habeas corpus, the court fee is Rs. 500.(( Supreme Court of India, Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure, accessed at https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/LU/ppop2017.pdf)) However, if the writ petition is filed in a criminal case, then no court fee is required.(( Supreme Court of India, Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure, accessed at https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/LU/ppop2017.pdf)) 

 

  • High Court

The court fee varies for different High Courts. Information on the court fee for individual High Courts can be found on the concerned court’s website. 

High Court Court fee 
Delhi1 Rs. 100 (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 250). 
Andhra Pradesh(( Andhra Pradesh Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1956, accessed at https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/sites/default/files/Andhra_Pradesh_Court_Fees_And_Suits_Valuation_Act__1956_1.pdf)) Rs. 100 (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 2).
Guwahati(( The Court Fees (Assam Amendment) Act, 1972, accessed at https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/5085/1/the_court_fees_%28assam_amendment%29_act%2C_1972_._recognized.pdf))  Rs. 50
Punjab & Haryana(( https://highcourtchd.gov.in/sub_pages/left_menu/Court%20Fees/Court%20Fee%20Table.pdf))  Rs. 50
Patna(( The Court Fees (Bihar Amendment) Act, 1995, accessed at https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/saharsa/court-fee-strucutre)) Rs. 1,000
Calcutta(( The West Bengal Court Fees Act, 1970, accessed at http://www.wbja.nic.in/wbja_adm/files/The%20West%20Bengal%20Court-Fees%20Act,%201970.pdf)) Rs. 100 (except a habeas corpus petition for which there is no fee).
Bombay(( The Maharashtra Court Fees Act, accessed at https://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/libweb/acts/1959.36.pdf))  Rs. 250
Chennai(( Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suit Valuations Act, 1965, accessed at https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/sites/default/files/Courtfee%20TN.pdf))  Rs. 200 (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 10).
Chhattisgarh(( Chhattisgarh High Court Rules, 2007, accessed at http://highcourt.cg.gov.in/other/filinginstruction/FilingInstructions.pdf)) Rs. 100
Allahabad(( Schedule II (e)(2), Court Fees Act, Uttar Pradesh.)) Rs. 100
Karnataka(( The Karnataka Court Fee and Suits Valuation Act, 1958, accessed at http://dpal.kar.nic.in/pdf_files/16%20of%201958%20(E).pdf))  Rs. 100 (except a habeas corpus petition).
Jammu & Kashmir 
Orissa(( Schedule II(e)(i), Court Fees Act, 1870.)) Rs. 50
Rajasthan(( The Rajasthan Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1961, accessed at https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/13049/1/the_rajasthan_court_fees_and_suits_valuation_act%2C_1961.pdf)) Rs. 25 (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 2).
Madhya Pradesh(( Court Fees Act, 1870, accessed at https://www.latestlaws.com/bare-acts/state-acts-rules/madhya-pradesh-state-laws/courts-fees-act-1870/)) Rs. 100
Kerala(( The Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959, accessed at https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/12325/1/10.pdf)) Rs. 25  (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 2).
Gujarat(( The Gujarat Court Fees Act, 2004, accessed at https://gujcourts.guj.nic.in/acts/gujarat_court_fees_act2004.pdf)) Rs. 50
Himachal Pradesh(( The Himachal Pradesh Court Fees Act, 1968, accessed at https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/5357/1/the_himachal_pradesh_court_fees_act%2C_1968.pdf)) Rs. 50  (except a habeas corpus petition for which fee is Rs. 2.65).
Sikkim(( Sikkim High Court (Practice and Procedure) Rules, 2011, accessed at https://hcs.gov.in/hcs/sites/default/files/rules/hc_pp_rules.pdf)) Rs. 250 (except a habeas corpus petition).
Uttarakhand(( Schedule II(e)(i), Court Fees Act, 1870.)) Rs. 50
Jharkhand(( Schedule II(e)(i), Court Fees Act, 1870.)) Rs. 50
Tripura(( Schedule II(e)(i), Court Fees Act, 1870.))  Rs. 50
Manipur(( Schedule II(e)(i), Court Fees Act, 1870.)) Rs. 50
Meghalaya(( The Court Fees (Meghalaya Amendment) Act, 2012, accessed at https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/sites/default/files/Meghalaya%20Court%20Fee%20Act%202012%20%28Amendment%29_0.pdf)) Rs. 95
Telangana(( Schedule II, Article 11(s), Telangana Court-Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1956.)) Rs. 100  (except a habeas corpus petition for which the fee is Rs. 2).
  1. Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, Revenue Department, The Court- Fees (Delhi Amendment) Act, 2012, accessed at http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/writereaddata/upload/Notification/NotificationFile_FCEDT9TW.PDF [↩]

How to file a writ petition online?

1. Go to the website of the Supreme Court of India here.

2. Click on the E-FILING menu below the HOME menu.

3. On the extreme right hand corner of the page, click on ‘New Registration’ if this is the first time a petition is being filed. If registration has already been done, proceed to step no. 7.

4. When ‘User Type’ is asked, choose ‘Petitioner in Person’ upon which a form will appear.

5. After filling the required information, click on the ‘Sign Up’ button at the end of the page.

6. After completing registration, go back to the ‘E-FILING’ page here.

7. Click on the ‘Login’ option

8. The following menu will appear. Fill in the required details.

9. After logging in, a menu will appear. Click on ‘New eFiling’.

10. The following page will be displayed. Fill in the required details. If the petition is against any decision by a lower court, then click on the ‘Lower Court’ button. Similarly, click on every category and fill in the required information.

11. Click on ‘Petition with Other Document’, if additional documents are to be submitted along with the petition. 

12. After all the required information has been filled in and the payment is completed, an application number will be given.

How to file a writ petition offline?

  • Obtain form for filing writ petition

 

A person seeking to protect their fundamental right can file a petition before the appropriate court i.e., Supreme Court or a High Court. The petition should be filed in the prescribed form as given by the particular court. The prescribed format for a writ petition in the Supreme Court can be found here. For High Courts, there are different forms prescribed by each High Court which can be accessed by visiting the concerned High Court’s website.

 

  • Draft the petition

 

After obtaining the prescribed form for the appropriate court, the following information should be mentioned in the petition1:

  • Name and description of the person filing the petition.
  • Name and description of the person/body against whom the petition is being filed.
  • The violated fundamental right of the aggrieved person. 
  • The remedy sought by the aggrieved person. 
  • The reasons for seeking the remedy. 
  • (If the petition is being filed to the Supreme Court) Whether a petition for the matter has already been filed before any High Court and if yes, the order passed by the High Court. 

 

 

  • If the petition is against a lower court’s order, the original or certified copy of such order should be attached to the petition. 
  • The affidavit of the facts led to the filing of the petition. 
  • Any other necessary documents. 

 

If any document is not in the physical possession of the petitioner, then a list of such documents should be attached to the petition.

 

  • Submit the petition

 

After completely drafting the petition, it should be submitted at the filing counter of either the Supreme Court((  Supreme Court of India, Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure, accessed at https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/LU/ppop2017.pdf)) or concerned High Court(( Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018, accessed at http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/writereaddata/upload/CourtRules/DownloadFile_ACT21XZ4IP9.PDF)), according to the petitioner’s preference.

 

  1. Supreme Court of India, Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure, accessed at https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/LU/ppop2017.pdf [↩]