Practice Areas
Writ Petitions & Constitutional Remedies
Petitions before the High Court against arbitrary State action, administrative inaction and service grievances.
What this covers
- Writs of mandamus, certiorari and prohibition
- Challenge to administrative and licensing orders
- Service and promotion grievances
- Delay and inaction by public authorities
- Public tender and procurement disputes
- Quashing of show-cause notices
A writ petition is a remedy against the State, not a general appeal. It succeeds where an authority has acted without jurisdiction, ignored the principles of natural justice, applied an irrelevant consideration, or simply failed to act where the law required it to. It fails where the dispute is really one of disputed fact, or where an efficacious alternative remedy has not been exhausted.
What we assess first
Before drafting, we check whether the respondent is the State or an instrumentality of the State, whether an alternative statutory remedy exists, whether there has been delay that would attract laches, and what precise relief the court can grant. Petitions that skip this analysis are usually dismissed at the admission stage.
Common grounds
Orders passed without a hearing, cancellations without notice, arbitrary rejection of applications, licences withheld without reason, and prolonged inaction on representations are recurring grounds. Each is pleaded with the record annexed, since a writ court decides on documents.
Speak to an advocate
Not sure whether you have a case?
Send us a short description of the matter. We will tell you what the position appears to be and what the next step would cost — before you commit to anything.