How to Cite Indian Cases: SCC, AIR and Neutral Citations

Last updated: 18 October 2026

Short answer: An Indian case citation has the case name followed by the report details: for example, Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, (1978) 1 SCC 248 means volume 1 of Supreme Court Cases for 1978, starting at page 248. The same judgment is also reported as AIR 1978 SC 597 (All India Reporter, 1978, Supreme Court section, page 597). Since 2023 the Supreme Court also gives its own neutral citation in the form year INSC number, for example Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India, 2024 INSC 113 (the electoral bonds case). Where a neutral citation exists, give it first, add a report citation if your style needs it, and always add a pinpoint (page or paragraph) when you rely on a specific passage.

Reading a case citation, part by part

Take the basic structure case: Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, (1973) 4 SCC 225.

The same judgment is reported as AIR 1973 SC 1461. Giving two reporters together, “(1973) 4 SCC 225 : AIR 1973 SC 1461”, is a parallel citation. Courts and practitioners often use parallel citations; academic styles usually want one.

The main Indian reporters and database citations

Neutral citations explained

A neutral citation is assigned by the court itself, independent of any private publisher, so anyone can find the judgment on the court’s website without a subscription.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court announced its neutral citation system in February 2023 for judgments and orders from 1 January 2023, in the form year INSC number. It said older judgments would be given neutral citations in tranches going back to 1950, so earlier cases may also carry an INSC number on the Court’s website. Example: Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India, 2024 INSC 113, decided on 15 February 2024.

High Courts

Many High Courts now print their own neutral citations at the top of judgments, usually built from the year, a court code and a serial number. Formats differ. For example, the Allahabad High Court uses a form such as 2026:AHC:177234-DB (the “DB” marks a Division Bench decision). Copy the neutral citation exactly as printed on the judgment, including colons and suffixes.

How to use neutral and report citations together

• Neutral citation available: Case name, 2024 INSC 113, then a report citation if your style or court requires it.
• No neutral citation (most older cases): cite the report, preferably SCC or SCR for Supreme Court judgments.
• Unreported judgment: give the case number, court and date: [Case name], W.P. (C) No. [ ] of [year], decided on [date] (Supreme Court of India).

Free cheat sheet: common forms

Note the key style differences: OSCOLA uses “v” without a full stop and no comma between the case name and the citation; the Indian house style and the Bluebook use “v.” and a comma. The OSCOLA 5th edition (2026) has dropped “ibid” and uses short forms with a cross reference such as “(n 4)”; if your institution still prescribes the 4th edition, ibid remains acceptable there. The Bluebook does not use ibid at all; it uses “Id.”

Citing statutes, including the new criminal laws

• Use the short title exactly as enacted, with the comma before the year: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Section is “s.” (plural “ss.”), with sub-sections in brackets: s. 318(4). Articles of the Constitution are “art.”, rules “r.”, and Orders under the CPC “O. VII r. 11”.
• Define a short form at first use: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (“BNS”).
• Where old and new criminal laws both matter, give both: BNS, s. 103 (corresponding to IPC, s. 302). Our IPC to BNS section converter gives the main correspondences.
• For rules and notifications, add the Gazette details: Ministry, notification number (G.S.R. for rules, S.O. for orders), date and Gazette part.

Seven rules that save marks

1. Read your style sheet first. The journal’s, university’s or competition’s rules always prevail over any general guide.
2. One style throughout. Do not mix OSCOLA and Bluebook forms in one paper.
3. Pinpoint every quotation and every specific proposition.
4. Quote, do not paraphrase closely. Put judicial and statutory wording in quotation marks with a pinpoint. Similarity checkers flag near-paraphrase.
5. Check that the case is still good law before relying on it.
6. Do not cite what you have not read. Take citations from the report or the court website, not from another author’s footnote, and verify every digit.
7. Build the table of cases last, from your final footnotes.

Common mistakes

• Square brackets for SCC years, or round brackets for SCR years. SCC uses (year); SCR uses [year].
• Dropping the volume number, or giving the wrong reporter.
• Writing “Vs”, “vs.” or “V/s” in academic writing instead of “v.” (or “v” in OSCOLA).
• Using “ibid.” in a Bluebook paper, or in an OSCOLA 5th edition paper.
• Citing a High Court neutral citation with the punctuation changed.
• Giving a parallel citation in one footnote and a single citation in the next for the same case.

Choosing a research topic first? Read our guide on how to choose a law dissertation topic.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SCC and AIR citations?

Both are private law reports of Supreme Court judgments. SCC is cited as (year) volume SCC page; AIR as AIR year SC page. Many Indian writers prefer SCC; the official report is SCR.

What does INSC mean in a citation?

It is the Supreme Court’s neutral citation code. In “2024 INSC 113”, 2024 is the year and 113 is the serial number the Court assigned to that judgment.

Should I cite the neutral citation or the SCC citation?

Give the neutral citation where one exists, and add the SCC or other report citation if your style sheet or court requires it.

How do I cite a High Court judgment?

Use the High Court’s neutral citation exactly as printed, or the report citation (AIR, ILR or SCC OnLine), and name the court if it is not clear from the citation.

How do I cite a judgment that is not reported?

Give the case name, case number, court and date of decision.

Which citation style do Indian law schools use?

It varies. Many use OSCOLA or the Bluebook, and many journals have their own house style. Always follow the style sheet you have been given.

*This article is general information, not legal advice.*