The Supreme Court of India is the highest appellate court in India. It is located at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi and has a complement of 235 judges.

The Supreme Court is responsible for hearing appeals against the decisions of other courts or tribunals within India. It also hears constitutional challenges to government action where it claims that laws or actions are unconstitutional or otherwise illegal.

The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases involving civil matters (such as contracts and real estate) as well as criminal cases involving offenses punishable by life imprisonment or death, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and extortion. The Supreme Court also has original jurisdiction over certain tax issues (such as income tax).

• The second tier is High Courts, there are 14 High Courts in India, each with its own Chief Justice, a few judges and a separate staff of lawyers to handle its caseloads. The high courts hear appeals from lower courts on matters ranging from criminal convictions to land disputes, from civil suits to tax assessments.
• The next tier consists of various State High Courts, which are each assigned one state as their territorial jurisdiction. They hear appeals from lower courts within their respective states on matters ranging from criminal convictions to land disputes, from civil suits to tax assessments.
• There are 64 District Courts throughout the country, each presiding over a circumscribed area of land within their respective districts.