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Supreme Court Review Petition Explained

• 31 Oct 2025

Supreme Court Review Petition Explained

The Supreme Court of India is the highest court in the country, and its decisions are usually final. But what if the Court itself makes a mistake, or some important fact was missed?
In such rare cases, a person can ask the Supreme Court to review its own judgment. This is done through something called a Review Petition.

What is a Review Petition?

A Review Petition is a request made to the Supreme Court to relook at its decision. It is not like an appeal where the whole case is argued again.
Instead, it’s a way to correct a clear mistake or error in the judgment — something that is obvious and can be seen without much debate.

For example:

• If the Court missed an important piece of evidence.
• If there is a clear typing or factual error.
• If some part of the law was not applied correctly.

In short, a review petition is a way to make sure justice is not denied due to an oversight.

What Does the Law Say?

The right to file a review petition is given under:

• Article 137 of the Indian Constitution – allows the Supreme Court to review its own decisions.
• Supreme Court Rules, 2013 – explain how and when a review petition can be filed.

This means even the Supreme Court has the power to correct itself, if it feels something went wrong.

When Can You File a Review Petition?

You can’t file a review petition just because you didn’t like the decision.
The Supreme Court will only accept it if there are strong reasons such as:

1. Clear mistake on record – For example, the Court mentioned a wrong date, name, or fact.
2. New evidence – Some important proof was not available earlier despite honest effort.
3. Any other valid reason – Something serious that could change the outcome.

In the case of Kamlesh Verma vs. Mayawati (2013), the Supreme Court clearly said that review petitions are not for re-arguing the case — they are only for correcting visible mistakes.

How and When to File a Review Petition

• It must be filed within 30 days from the date of the Supreme Court’s judgment.
• It is usually heard by the same judges who gave the original decision.
• Most review petitions are decided in private chambers, not in open court.

If the review petition is also rejected, there is one last option called a Curative Petition, which is accepted only in very rare and exceptional cases.

Famous Examples of Review Petitions

1. Nirbhaya Case: The convicts filed review petitions against their death sentence, but all were rejected.
2. Sabarimala Temple Case: Review petitions were accepted because of the sensitive social and religious issues involved.
3. Rafale Deal Case: Review petitions were filed asking the Court to reconsider its decision, but they were dismissed.

These examples show that while the scope is very limited, the review petition is a safeguard to ensure fairness and justice.

A Review Petition in the Supreme Court is like saying —
“Dear Court, please take another look; something important might have been missed.”

It helps prevent serious errors and ensures justice is done completely and correctly.
However, it is allowed only in rare cases, not just because someone disagrees with the judgment.