Download Supreme Court Forms

Standard forms, reproduced in their prescribed format for reference.

Beyond the petition itself, a Supreme Court filing depends on a set of standard supporting documents — most importantly the Vakalatnama, which authorises an Advocate-on-Record to act, and the Memo of Appearance, which formally records that authorisation with the Registry. Below, we reproduce the prescribed formats for these two foundational documents, along with a reference list of the other standard forms used across Supreme Court practice.

1. Vakalatnama

(Prescribed under Order IV Rule 18/19 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013)

VAKALATNAMA
(S.C.R. Order IV Rule 18)
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA[CIVIL / CRIMINAL] [APPELLATE / ORIGINAL] JURISDICTION
[Special Leave Petition / Civil Appeal / Writ Petition] No. OF
[Name(s) of Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s)]                        …PETITIONER(S)/                                                                  APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
[Name(s) of Respondent(s)]                                     …RESPONDENT(S)
I/We, ________________________(name(s) of executant(s), with address), thePetitioner(s)/Appellant(s)/Respondent(s) in the above matter, do hereby appoint and retain Mr./Ms. ,Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India, to act andappear for me/us in the above matter, and on my/our behalf toconduct and prosecute (or defend) the same, and to appear inall proceedings that may be taken in respect of any applicationconnected with the same, or any decree or order passedtherein, including proceedings in taxation and applications forreview; to file and obtain return of documents; to deposit andreceive money on my/our behalf in the said matter; and torepresent me/us and take all necessary steps on my/our behalfin the above matter.
I/We agree to ratify all acts done by the aforesaid Advocate-on-Record in pursuance of this authority.
Dated this _ day of _, 20

Signature of Executant
(s) ACCEPTED
__________

Signature of Advocate-on-Record

[Where executed in the presence of the Advocate-on-Record:]Certified that this Vakalatnama has been signed before me by the executant(s) named above, who is/are personally known tome / has/have been identified to my satisfaction by
_.
__
Advocate-on-Record

Key requirements to note:

Only a registered Advocate-on-Record may accept and file a Vakalatnama before the Supreme Court — a matter cannot proceed without one.
Where the Vakalatnama is signed in the presence of the Advocate-on-Record, the AoR must certify that it was executed before them.
Where the Vakalatnama was already signed before a Notary or another advocate, the accepting Advocate-on-Record must endorse that they are satisfied as to its due execution.
To change the Advocate-on-Record on an existing matter, a No Objection Certificate from the outgoing AoR is required before a new Vakalatnama can be accepted.

2. Memo of Appearance

MEMO OF APPEARANCE
To
The Registrar
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi
Sir/Madam,
Kindly enter my appearance on behalf of the
[Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s)/Respondent(s)/Caveator(s)] in theabove-mentioned matter.
New Delhi                                  Yours faithfully,
Dated this _ day of _, 20

(Advocate-on-Record)
Address for service of the said
Advocate-on-Record:
____________________________________________________________

Other Standard Forms

Form	Purpose
Appearance Slip	Records counsel’s appearance at a specific hearing before the Court.
Application for Certified Copy	Used to formally request a certified copy of an order or judgment from the Registry, typically required as an annexure to a subsequent filing.
Application for Registration of a Clerk	Registers a clerk authorised to handle filing and administrative tasks on behalf of an Advocate-on-Record.
Format SLP – Form No. 28	The prescribed format for a Special Leave Petition (reproduced in full on our Application Format page).
Format Writ Petition	The prescribed format for petitions filed under Article 32 (reproduced in full on our Application Format page).
List of Subject Categories	The Registry’s classification list is used to categorise incoming matters by subject matter for administrative processing.
Notice of Motion	Used to bring a specific interlocutory application before the Court for directions within an ongoing matter.
PIL Guidelines	The Court’s published guidelines on the form and content required for a Public Interest Litigation petition to be entertained.
Entry Pass Form	Required for physical entry into Supreme Court premises for parties, clerks, and visiting counsel.
Supreme Court Rules, 2013	The complete procedural rules governing all practice and procedure before the Court — the source document underlying every form and format referenced here.

1. Appearance Slip

Filed to record counsel’s appearance on the day a matter is listed for hearing. Since January 2023, appearance slips are ordinarily filed electronically by the Advocate-on-Record through the Court’s Advocate Appearance Portal, though the underlying content required remains the same.
APPEARANCE SLIP
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Case No.: ______________     Item No.: [Name(s) of Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s)]
VERSUS
[Name(s) of Respondent(s)] Date of Hearing: _
Appearance on behalf of: ☐ Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s) ☐ Respondent(s)
Name(s) of Advocate(s) appearing:
1. ____ (AOR)
2. (Sr. Advocate, if any)
3. (Advocate)


Signature of
Advocate-on-Record

2. Application for Certified Copy

Filed to request a certified copy of an order, judgment, or other document from the Court’s record — typically required as an annexure when filing a subsequent appeal, review, or other proceeding.

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFIED COPY
To
The Registrar, Supreme Court of India New Delhi
Sir/Madam,
I/We request that a certified copy of the following be furnished to me/us:
Case No.: _____________________
Order/Judgment dated: _
Nature of the document required
(Order / Judgment / Decree / other, specify): _
Number of copies required: ________
Purpose for which required: _
I/We enclose herewith the prescribed fee of Rs.
towards the cost of the certified copy applied for.
Dated: Yours faithfully,

Signature of Applicant /
Advocate-on-Record
Address for delivery of the copy:
________________________________________________________________

3. Application for Registration of a Clerk

Filed by an Advocate-on-Record to register a clerk authorised to handle filing, collection of certified copies, and other administrative tasks at the Registry on the Advocate’s behalf.

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A CLERK

To
The Registrar, Supreme Court of India New Delhi
Sir/Madam,
I, ____________, Advocate-on-Recordof the Supreme Court of India (Registration No. ),request that the following person be registered as my clerkfor the purpose of transacting business on my behalf at theRegistry of this Hon’ble Court:
Name of Clerk: _
Father’s/Husband’s Name:
Permanent Address:
Photograph: [affix passport-size photograph, attested]
I certify that the above-named person is employed by me and that I shall be responsible for all acts done by him/her in connection with my practice before this Hon’ble Court.
Dated:
Signature of
Advocate-on-Record
Signature of Clerk: ____

4. Notice of Motion

Filed to bring a specific interlocutory application before the Court for directions within an already-pending matter — for example, an application for early hearing, impleadment, or amendment.

NOTICE OF MOTION

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA[CIVIL / CRIMINAL] [APPELLATE / ORIGINAL]
JURISDICTION I.A. No. OF IN[Case type and number, e.g., S.L.P. (Civil) No. OF ]
IN THE MATTER OF:
[Name(s) of Applicant(s)] …APPLICANT(S)
VERSUS
[Name(s) of Respondent(s)] …RESPONDENT(S)
APPLICATION FOR [state relief sought — e.g., “EARLYHEARING” / “IMPLEADMENT” / “AMENDMENT OF PETITION”]

To
The Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India andHis/Her Companion Justices of the Supreme Court of India
THE HUMBLE APPLICATION OF THE APPLICANT(S) ABOVE NAMED
MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:
1. [Brief background of the main matter and its current    status before the Court]
2. [Grounds on which the specific relief is sought]
3. [Any urgency or specific circumstance necessitating this application]
PRAYER
It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this Hon’bleCourt may be pleased to:
(a) [State the specific relief sought]; and
(b) Pass such other order(s) as this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case.
Filed by:

Advocate for the Applicant(s)
Drawn on:
Filed on:

5. Entry Pass Form (Supreme Court Premises)

Required for physical entry into Supreme Court premises by parties-in-person, clerks, interns, and visiting counsel not otherwise carrying Bar identification recognised at the gate.

APPLICATION FOR ENTRY PASSSUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Name of Applicant: ____________________________
Capacity in which entry is sought: ☐ Party-in-Person   ☐ Clerk of Advocate-on-Record ☐ Intern ☐ Other (specify): _
Case No. (if applicable): _______________
Name of Advocate-on-Record(if entry sought in connection with a case): _
Photo Identification Produced(Aadhaar / Voter ID / Passport / Bar ID): _
Photograph: [affix passport-size photograph]
Date for which pass is required: _
_________
Signature of Applicant

Recommended by (Advocate-on-Record, where applicable):
______________________
Signature

6. Checklist of Documents for SLP Filing

Used internally, and often required to be filed alongside the petition itself, to confirm that all mandatory accompanying documents have been included before submission to the Registry.

CHECKLIST — SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION
Case: __________________________________________________
☐ Special Leave Petition in Form No. 28
☐ Synopsis and List of Dates
☐ Certified copy of the impugned judgment/order   (or receipt/undertaking where exemption is sought)
☐ Affidavit verifying the petition
☐ Vakalatnama, duly executed and accepted by AOR
☐ Annexures — indexed, page-numbered, chronologically   arranged, and certified/affirmed true copies
☐ Appendix of relevant statutory/constitutional provisions
☐ Application for condonation of delay (if applicable),   with supporting affidavit
☐ Application for exemption from filing certified copy   (if applicable)
☐ Application for interim relief (incorporated within   Form No. 28, not filed separately)
☐ Court fee paid
☐ Number of copies as prescribed (ordinarily 1 + 5 for   e-filing/paper-book requirements — confirm current   requirement at filing)
☐ Declaration under Rule 4(2) (no other SLP filed)
☐ Declaration under Rule 6 (annexures are true copies)

7. PIL Guidelines — Summary

The Supreme Court has issued specific guidelines (published as Annexure I to the Court’s Handbook on Practice and Procedure) governing what will be entertained as a Public Interest Litigation. In summary, a PIL petition should:

Clearly establish that the petitioner is acting bona fide and not for personal gain, private profit, or political motivation
Set out facts that are, as far as possible, verified and supported by material on record rather than vague or unverified allegations
Demonstrate that the issue raised genuinely affects the public at large, or a class of persons unable to approach the Court themselves
Avoid using the PIL route to bypass ordinary remedies available to the petitioner in their private capacity
Be accompanied by an affidavit disclosing the petitioner’s credentials, the source of information relied upon, and confirmation that no personal interest is involved

The Court reserves the discretion to impose exemplary costs where a PIL is found to be frivolous, motivated, or an abuse of process — a consideration we factor into every PIL matter we advise on, whether acting for the petitioner or the respondent.

How We Help

We prepare and file every one of these documents as part of a coordinated Supreme Court engagement, cross-checked against the Registry’s current requirements at the time of filing, so a matter is never held up by a missing or incorrectly completed administrative form.

Get in Touch

If you need assistance preparing any of these forms — or want to confirm your filing is complete before it reaches the Registry — book a consultation with our team.

The formats above reflect established Supreme Court of India practice and the general structure of forms referenced in the Court’s Handbook on Practice and Procedure. Exact formats, fees, and requirements are set and periodically revised by the Registry — we confirm the current version for every filing.