LEGAL PRINCIPLE: CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – Supreme Court – Finality of Determination
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT
Without prejudice to prerogative of mercy powers, no appeal shall lie to any other body or person from any determination of the Supreme Court.
RATIO DECIDENDI (SOURCE)
"Without prejudice to the powers of the President or the Governor of a State with respect to prerogative of mercy, no appeal shall lie to any other body or person from any determination of the Supreme Court."
EXPLANATION / SCOPE
This constitutional provision establishes Supreme Court determinations as final and unappealable. No court, tribunal, or authority can review Supreme Court decisions. The only exception is prerogative of mercy—executive power to pardon, commute sentences, or grant reprieves in criminal cases. This exception doesn’t challenge the judgment’s correctness but provides humanitarian relief. The finality serves: constitutional structure (Supreme Court as apex court), legal certainty (disputes must end), and judicial authority (Supreme Court pronouncements are definitive). Parties cannot circumvent this through collateral attacks, fresh actions, or applications to other bodies. The finality is absolute within the judicial system—no “appeal beyond appeal” exists. This distinguishes Supreme Court from all other courts and ensures hierarchical coherence in the judicial system.