60-second version
- Type keywords in the search box on the homepage or on the Cases search page.
- Suggestions appear as you type; results rank exact phrases and key terms higher than before.
- Optional: enable Semantic AI Search (AI Studio) to refine natural-language questions into better keywords.
In one sentence
Search SooperKanoon by typing keywords related to your legal question and browse ranked judgment results instantly - free and without login.
Before you start
Free for everyone - no account needed. Keyword search covers over a million judgments from the Supreme Court, High Courts, tribunals, and Privy Council. Works best with specific terms: legal concepts, act names, party names, or phrases from a known case. See Search tips: autocomplete, spellcheck & filters for newer search behaviour.
Steps
- Go to sooperkanoon.com or directly to Cases Search.
- Click inside the search box labelled "Search judgments" (homepage) or the search field on the cases page.
- Enter your keywords - examples:
breach of contract,Section 138 NI Act,Aruna Shanbaug. - Optional: enable Semantic AI Search below the field (requires AI Studio) and type a full question - e.g.
Can anticipatory bail be granted in a money laundering case? - Optional: pick a suggestion from the autocomplete dropdown as you type.
- Press Enter or click the search button.
- Review the results count at the top (e.g. "Showing results for …").
- Read the excerpt under each case title - your search words appear highlighted.
- Click a case name to open the full judgment page.
- To search again, edit the search box at the top of the results page and submit a new query.
What you'll see
A results page listing matching judgments with case titles, court names, decision dates, and short text excerpts. A sidebar on the left offers Court and Year filters populated from your result set - the filter bar stays visible while you scroll. Pagination at the bottom lets you move through additional pages of results.
Common mistakes
- Using very short or generic words alone (e.g. "law", "order") - add context words for sharper results.
- Pasting an entire paragraph - shorter, focused phrases usually work better.
- Ignoring spellcheck suggestions when results look empty - try the corrected query shown on the page.
Tips
- Combine an act reference with a topic:
Section 420 IPC cheatingfinds cases on cheating under that section. - Put multi-word legal phrases in quotes for tighter matching:
"doctrine of legitimate expectation". - After your first search, use the Court filter to see only Supreme Court or a specific High Court's view.
- Know a citation instead of keywords? Switch to Citation Search for AIR, SCC, or SCR lookups.
- See Semantic AI Search for supported modules and toggle behaviour.