Year-end 2025 reviews by legal publications have highlighted a batch of Supreme Court 'Constitution Bench' judgments, distinct from the two- or three-judge benches that decide most cases. These round-ups are not a single new ruling but an occasion to explain the constitutional rule that creates this special category of larger-bench decisions.
Article 145(3) requires a minimum of five judges to decide any case involving a substantial question of law on constitutional interpretation, or a Presidential reference under Article 143. Such rulings become binding precedent under Article 141, which smaller benches cannot deviate from without referring the point to an equal or larger bench. Cases reach such benches through routes like Articles 32, 131, 132, 136, 137 and 139A, with Article 142 empowering 'complete justice' directions afterward.
For exams, remember: Article 145(3) mandates minimum bench strength for constitutional questions; Article 141 makes such verdicts binding; Article 124 establishes the Court's composition; and multiple jurisdictional articles (32, 131, 132, 136, 137, 139A) explain how constitutional questions reach the Supreme Court.