Good legal research means finding the right law, checking that it is still current, and recording where each point came from. These steps work for an article, a moot, an assignment or an internship task.
Step 1: define the issue and the jurisdiction
Write the legal question in one sentence. Note the facts that matter, the area of law, the court or forum, and the period (old law or new law, for example IPC or BNS).
Step 2: start with the statute
- Find the current, amended text of the Act on India Code.
- Read the definitions and the arrangement of sections first. See how to read a bare Act.
- Check for rules, regulations and notifications made under the Act.
Step 3: find the cases
- Search the Supreme Court of India website and the websites of the High Courts for judgments.
- Use Indian Kanoon to search by section, topic or party, and to see how later cases refer to a judgment.
- If your institution subscribes to SCC Online or Manupatra, use them to confirm the citation and the headnote.
- Check district and High Court case status on the eCourts services portal.
Step 4: read the judgment properly
- Read the full text, not just a summary.
- Identify the facts, the question, the reasoning and the order.
- Separate the ratio decidendi (the binding principle) from obiter dicta (remarks made in passing).
- Note the bench strength. A larger bench’s decision generally prevails over a smaller bench’s.
- Record paragraph numbers for the points you will cite.
Step 5: check that the law is still good
- Look for later cases that follow, distinguish, doubt or overrule your case.
- Check whether a later amendment has changed the statute.
- Check whether the case was decided under the old law (for example the IPC or CrPC) and how the new code deals with the point.
Step 6: look beyond cases and statutes
- Law Commission reports on the Law Commission of India website.
- Parliamentary material: bills, committee reports and debates, with summaries on PRS Legislative Research and records on Sansad.
- Official notifications in the Gazette of India, for example via eGazette.
- Journals and books for scholarly analysis.
These sites change their layout and addresses from time to time. If a link fails, search for the site’s name.
Step 7: keep a research log
Record every source as you find it. A simple table is enough.
| Source and full citation | Where I found it | Page or paragraph | What it says | How I will use it | Still good law? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rules for reliable research
- Rely on primary sources first. Use secondary sources to explain and test, not to replace them.
- Never cite from memory. Check every case name, citation, section number and quotation against the original.
- Do not treat Wikipedia, unverified blogs or AI-generated text as legal authority.
- If a source cannot be verified, do not use it.
- Keep quotation marks and a citation on anything copied word for word.
Ten-minute check before you start writing
- I know the exact legal question.
- I have the current text of the relevant provisions.
- I have read the full text of the leading cases.
- I know whether each case is still good law.
- I have noted pinpoint pages or paragraphs.
- I have at least one source that disagrees with my view.
- I have a complete citation for each source.
Next: write your article or your research paper, and cite with our citation guide.
A general guide. Journals, competitions and universities each set their own word limits, formats and citation rules. Always follow the instructions of the place you are writing for. Last updated: October 2026.