Best Free Resources for Legal Research (LITIGATION BASICS 12 )

Legal research is one of the most essential skills in litigation practice. Effective drafting and persuasive arguments are not possible without sound legal research. Legal research is not limited to merely finding judgments; it also involves analysing the relevance, applicability, and ratio of judgments in relation to the facts of a particular case.

Although several paid legal research platforms such as SCC Online and Manupatra are available, junior lawyers at the initial stage of practice may not be able to afford these services. Therefore, a list of reliable and freely accessible legal research resources has been compiled below to assist law students and junior advocates in conducting effective legal research.

(1)  e-SCR – It provides digital access to the Supreme Court Reports as well as judgments of all High Courts. This portal is an authoritative and dependable source for accessing reported and unreported judgments.

                                                                                                        

(2) Indian Kanoon – It is a widely used free legal research platform that simplifies the process of searching judgments. It enables users to search judgments of the Supreme Court and all High Courts through keywords, case numbers, or party names. The platform also allows downloading of court copies of judgments, making it a useful research tool for day-to-day litigation work.

                                       

                                                           

(3) High Court Websites - Official websites of High Courts are an important source for accessing authentic court records and judgments. Advocates should regularly use the website of the High Court within whose jurisdiction they practice.

Example:
The official website of the Bombay High Court allows users to search and download court copies of judgments by party name, case number, or date of decision.

              

                                                                

(4) Websites for accessing Current Legal Updates

o   Live Law

o   Bar and Bench

o  SCC Online Blog (These platforms regularly provide updates on recent judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts, legislative developments, and important legal news.)