60-second version
- Start with a keyword search on the homepage, then open the most relevant judgments.
- Use filters, Advanced Search, or Bare Acts to narrow down by court, act section, or date.
- Save key judgments (bonus feature), open AI Studio for a structured brief, and follow citations to build your research file.
In one sentence
Research a legal issue on SooperKanoon by searching keywords, reading judgments, checking the relevant act section, and saving your best finds - all in one workflow.
Before you start
Core research is free - no login needed for searching cases, acts, dictionary, and forms. For saving judgments, notes, tags, or search history, you need a logged-in account with an active subscription and the relevant bonus features activated (see Dashboard → Profile). Have your legal issue written in plain words before you start (e.g. "whether anticipatory bail can be cancelled").
Steps
- Define your issue. Write the question in simple words - e.g. "employer liability for workplace harassment."
- Keyword search. Go to the homepage and search your topic. The form posts to case search and shows matching judgments.
- Scan and filter. On the results page, use Court and Year filters to focus on the Supreme Court or a specific High Court and time period.
- Open top judgments. Click 2–3 promising results. On each judgment page, read the headnote, facts, and court's reasoning.
- Use AI Studio. Click Brief & Ask on top results or Open AI Brief & Ask on the judgment page for a structured AI Brief and case-scoped chat. See Getting started with AI Studio.
- Check the act. Go to Bare Acts, open the relevant section, and click List Judgments citing this section.
- Go deeper if needed. Use Advanced Search or Citation Search to find related or cited cases.
- Save your work (optional). With Save Judgments activated, click the star icon on key cases and revisit them via Favorites or Dashboard → Search History.
- Optional - LexPulse: After keyword search, click Pulse this search on results, or create an alert at LexPulse.
- Optional - Research Crew: Collaborate async on a Research Crew workspace for team research.
What you'll see
You move from a broad results list to individual judgment pages with full text, metadata (court, date, parties), AI Studio for briefings, and links to related cases.
Common mistakes
- Stopping at the first result - read several judgments, especially Supreme Court ones, to understand the current law.
- Ignoring the act section - judgments often turn on a specific section; check Bare Acts to read the statute itself.
- Trying to save judgments without an active subscription and activated Save Judgments feature - the star icon only works for eligible accounts.
Tips
- Start broad (keyword search), then narrow (court filter → advanced search → citation follow-up).
- Supreme Court judgments on sooperkanoon.com often bind lower courts - prioritise SC results when researching all-India law.
- Use tags (bonus feature) to label cases by client or matter - e.g. "Sharma bail application" - so you can find them later without remembering case names.