Legal Drafting Formats for Petitions, Complaints, Appeals and Affidavits

Explore sample legal documents for the Supreme Court, High Courts, civil and commercial courts, consumer commissions and tribunals in India. Each linked format is a starting point for drafting, not a substitute for the rules of the court or forum where the matter is filed.

Which laws govern these legal formats?

Constitutional writ petitions: Article 32 of the Constitution enables approaches to the Supreme Court for enforcement of fundamental rights; Article 226 empowers High Courts to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and for other purposes. The relevant Supreme Court Rules and High Court rules also govern format and procedure.

Civil suits and applications: The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC) governs many civil proceedings. Section 26 and Order IV address institution of suits; Order VI concerns pleadings; Order VII concerns plaints; Order VIII addresses written statements; and Section 148A concerns caveats.

Commercial disputes: The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 and the CPC as amended for commercial disputes apply where their requirements are met, including provisions on statements of truth and case management.

Cheque dishonour complaints: Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 concerns dishonour of cheques for discharge of a legally enforceable debt or liability, subject to statutory notice and filing requirements. Sections 142 to 147 contain related procedural provisions.

Criminal matters: The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for the applicable proceedings from 1 July 2024, subject to savings and transitional rules. Older templates may cite the CrPC and must be checked against the applicable BNSS provisions.

Consumer disputes: Consumer complaints are governed by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, including Sections 35, 47 and 58 for the respective consumer commission jurisdictions, read with applicable rules and current pecuniary jurisdiction notifications.

Browse petition and application formats

Choose a format by proceeding type. Existing links have been preserved so readers can access the original sample documents.