Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Coordinate Bench Rule
Judicial Orders, Injunctions & Precedents
Definition
The rule of judicial discipline dictating that a bench of equal numerical strength (e.g., a two-judge bench of a High Court or Supreme Court) cannot overrule or disregard the decision of another bench of identical strength; if it disagrees, it must refer the question to a larger bench.
Example
In Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community v. State of Maharashtra, a five-judge Constitution Bench held that a bench of lesser or equal strength cannot doubt or depart from the view of a coordinate bench, and must seek a reference to the Chief Justice for a larger bench.