60-second version
- Open Advanced Search - every field is optional.
- Phrase searches judgment text; Acts searches statutes cited; Case Name and party fields match titles and names.
- Combine Court, Year Range, or Date of Verdict to narrow results; click Search Judgments when ready.
In one sentence
This guide explains each Advanced Search field so you can build precise judgment queries across case details, legal substance, counsel, and dates.
Before you start
Advanced Search is free and does not require login. Fields are grouped into four sections on the form at /advanced-search. You can use any combination - the search engine ANDs filled fields together. For API equivalents of these fields, see API documentation.
Steps
Case & Parties
| Field | What it searches | Example | |-------|------------------|---------| | Case Name | Full or partial case title | Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala | | Case No. | Appeal or matter number | MFA 6478 of 2012 | | Court | Specific court or tribunal (190+ options) | Supreme Court of India, ITAT Delhi | | Appellant / Petitioner | Name of appealing party | Mohori Bibee | | Respondent | Name of responding party | Dharmodas Ghose |
Legal Substance
| Field | What it searches | Example | |-------|------------------|---------| | Phrase | Words inside judgment text and casenote | anticipatory bail, suit for partition | | Acts | Statutes referred in the judgment | CPC, Specific Relief Act | | Subject | Subject classification | Labour, Criminal, Constitutional | | Reported in | Law report / journal abbreviation | AIR, SCC, SCR | | Judge | Presiding judge name | Raveendran |
Counsel
| Field | What it searches | Example | |-------|------------------|---------| | Advocate for Petitioner / Appellant | Counsel for the appellant side | Jethmalani | | Advocate for Respondent / Defendant | Counsel for the respondent side | Holla |
Date Filters
| Field | What it does | Example | |-------|--------------|---------| | Year Range (From / Up to) | Limits judgments between two years | From 2010 to 2020 | | Date of Verdict (Year / Month / Day) | Matches a specific decision date | Year 2019, Month Mar, Day 15 |
Running the search
- Fill any fields you need (see tables above).
- Watch the criteria counter on the form - it shows how many fields you have set.
- Click Search Judgments.
- Use Clear All to reset the form.
What you'll see
Results appear at /cases/advsearch/… with URLs encoding your criteria (for example, casename:…, judge:…, court:…). Excerpts highlight terms from Phrase, Acts, and Subject when provided. Result rows also show metadata such as court, date, acts referred, and parties when available.
Common mistakes
- Using Case Name for a legal concept - put topic keywords in Phrase instead.
- Selecting Year Range and Date of Verdict with conflicting values - pick one date strategy per search.
- Entering special characters or punctuation - plain words and standard abbreviations work best; hyphens in URLs are handled automatically.
- Searching for a full AIR citation in Reported in - use Citation Search for volume/page lookups.
Tips
- Start with Phrase + Court for topic research in a specific forum.
- Filter the Court dropdown by typing
Supreme,ITAT, or a state name in the filter box above the list. - Pair Acts with Year Range to see how courts interpreted a statute over time.
- After a successful search, bookmark the results URL to repeat the same query later.