Article 142, Suo Motu & the Limits of Judicial Power

How far can a court go to do the right thing? That question sits at the heart of a 2026 debate over the Supreme Court's reach. Article 142 lets it pass any order needed for 'complete justice' - a power the court used in 2024 to treat delayed Tamil Nadu Bills as passed, and channelled again in June 2026 when it declared a fundamental right to walk on safe footpaths. Add a sharp rise in suo motu cases - 35 of the last two decades' 66 fell in 2020-24 - and critics warn of judicial overreach, while defenders see a court filling gaps the other branches leave open.