What does �fait accompli� mean?

A fait accompli is something already done or completed before those affected can alter it � an accomplished or established fact.

Who was an important ancient Hindu law-giver?

Yajnavalkya is one of the major ancient Hindu jurists and authors associated with the Yajnavalkya Smriti. Manu and other Dharmashastra authors are also important, so the question should not imply that there was only one ancient law-giver.

How should a High Court Judge be addressed in court?

Forms of address are governed by court practice and professional convention. Traditional forms such as �My Lord� or �Your Lordship� may be used in some courts, but advocates should follow the practice and directions of the particular court. There is no general substantive law making one honorific mandatory in every High Court.

Is ignorance of law generally an excuse?

As a general legal maxim, ignorance of law is ordinarily not an excuse. However, the legal effect of mistake can depend on the particular statute, offence, state of mind required and facts of the case.

What was the Ilbert Bill?

The Ilbert Bill was the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill introduced in 1883 during Lord Ripon�s administration. It sought to remove racial discrimination in colonial criminal jurisdiction by allowing qualified Indian judges and magistrates to try European British subjects in circumstances where the existing law restricted that power.

What is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881?

Section 25 deals with the effect of a public holiday on the maturity of a negotiable instrument. For that provision, �public holiday� includes Sunday and any other day declared by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette to be a public holiday for the purposes of the section.

Who wrote �A Judge�s Miscellany�?

Justice M. Hidayatullah, former Chief Justice of India and former Vice-President of India, is the author of A Judge�s Miscellany.

What is the traditional symbol of justice?

A widely used symbol is Lady Justice, commonly depicted with balancing scales and often with a blindfold and sword. The imagery represents ideas such as impartiality, weighing of evidence and the authority of law.

Which Supreme Court case involving E.V. Ramaswami Naicker concerned damage to an object held sacred?

S. Veerabadran Chettiar v. E.V. Ramaswami Naicker & Others, decided on 25 August 1958, considered Section 295 IPC and the meaning of an object held sacred by a class of persons. The case arose from allegations concerning the breaking of an image of Lord Ganesa.

What is another name for the Sarda Act?

The Sarda Act is the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. The principal current central law dealing with child marriage is the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

Who tried the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case at first instance?

The special trial at the Red Fort was presided over by Special Judge Atma Charan, I.C.S. The older answer naming Justice Grover was incorrect.

When was the Supreme Court of India inaugurated?

The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 when the Constitution came into force and was formally inaugurated on 28 January 1950.

Updated: 1 September 2026

Law Questions and Answers: 30 Updated Legal Issues and Terms

This page explains 30 common legal questions and terms for law students, advocates, litigants and competitive-examination candidates. Historical questions have been clarified, and current answers reflect the Constitution of India, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and other applicable legal sources.

Important: legal GK should distinguish historical facts from current law. Several older answers on this topic were over-broad or incorrect, particularly the Ilbert Bill, the Gandhi assassination trial, magistrates' sentencing powers and India's treaty-making process.

Questions 1-10 Questions 11-20 Questions 21-30

Questions 1-10

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
1	What does "fait accompli" mean?	A fait accompli is something already done or completed before those affected can alter it - an accomplished or established fact.
2	Who was an important ancient Hindu law-giver?	Yajnavalkya is one of the major ancient Hindu jurists and authors associated with the Yajnavalkya Smriti. Manu and other Dharmashastra authors are also important, so the question should not imply that there was only one ancient law-giver.
3	How should a High Court Judge be addressed in court?	Forms of address are governed by court practice and professional convention. Traditional forms such as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" may be used in some courts, but advocates should follow the practice and directions of the particular court. There is no general substantive law making one honorific mandatory in every High Court.
4	Is ignorance of law generally an excuse?	As a general legal maxim, ignorance of law is ordinarily not an excuse. However, the legal effect of mistake can depend on the particular statute, offence, state of mind required and facts of the case.
5	What was the Ilbert Bill?	The Ilbert Bill was the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill introduced in 1883 during Lord Ripon's administration. It sought to remove racial discrimination in colonial criminal jurisdiction by allowing qualified Indian judges and magistrates to try European British subjects in circumstances where the existing law restricted that power.
6	What is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881?	Section 25 deals with the effect of a public holiday on the maturity of a negotiable instrument. For that provision, "public holiday" includes Sunday and any other day declared by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette to be a public holiday for the purposes of the section.
7	Who wrote "A Judge's Miscellany"?	Justice M. Hidayatullah, former Chief Justice of India and former Vice-President of India, is the author of A Judge's Miscellany.
8	What is the traditional symbol of justice?	A widely used symbol is Lady Justice, commonly depicted with balancing scales and often with a blindfold and sword. The imagery represents ideas such as impartiality, weighing of evidence and the authority of law.
9	Which Supreme Court case involving E.V. Ramaswami Naicker concerned damage to an object held sacred?	S. Veerabadran Chettiar v. E.V. Ramaswami Naicker & Others, decided on 25 August 1958, considered Section 295 IPC and the meaning of an object held sacred by a class of persons. The case arose from allegations concerning the breaking of an image of Lord Ganesa.
10	What is another name for the Sarda Act?	The Sarda Act is the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. The principal current central law dealing with child marriage is the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

Questions 11-20

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
11	Who tried the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case at first instance?	The special trial at the Red Fort was presided over by Special Judge Atma Charan, I.C.S. The older answer naming Justice Grover was incorrect.
12	When was the Supreme Court of India inaugurated?	The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 when the Constitution came into force and was formally inaugurated on 28 January 1950.
13	Which court is the apex judicial authority in India, and are its declared legal principles binding?	The Supreme Court of India is the apex court. Under Article 141 of the Constitution, the law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all courts within the territory of India.
14	Who appoints Judges of the Supreme Court?	Under Article 124, every Judge of the Supreme Court is appointed by the President of India by warrant. Appointments operate within the constitutional framework as interpreted by the Supreme Court, including the collegium system.
15	How is the Chief Justice of India appointed?	The Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President under Article 124. By long-standing convention, the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office is appointed as Chief Justice of India.
16	Where is the seat of the Supreme Court of India?	Article 130 provides that the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi, or at such other place or places as the Chief Justice of India may, with the approval of the President, appoint.
17	What does judicial review mean in India?	Judicial review is the constitutional power of courts to examine legislative and executive action for conformity with the Constitution and applicable law. It is exercised by the Supreme Court and High Courts, among other constitutional functions.
18	How is the strength of a High Court determined?	The Constitution does not prescribe one fixed number of Judges for every High Court. Judges are appointed under Article 217, and sanctioned strength is determined by the Union Government through the constitutional and administrative process having regard to factors including workload, vacancies and institutional requirements.
19	Who appoints Judges of a High Court?	Under Article 217, every Judge of a High Court is appointed by the President by warrant after the constitutionally required consultation process, as judicially interpreted.
20	What is appellate jurisdiction?	Appellate jurisdiction is the authority of a higher court or tribunal to hear and decide an appeal against a judgment, decree, sentence, order or decision of a lower court or other competent forum.

Questions 21-30

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
21	Which Articles of the Constitution deal with subordinate courts?	Articles 233 to 237 of the Constitution contain the principal constitutional provisions relating to subordinate courts.
22	What sentence may a Chief Judicial Magistrate impose under the BNSS, 2023?	Under Section 23(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, a Chief Judicial Magistrate may pass any sentence authorised by law except a sentence of death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for a term exceeding seven years.
23	What sentence may a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class impose under the BNSS, 2023?	Under Section 23(2) BNSS, a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class may impose imprisonment up to three years, or fine up to ₹50,000, or both, or community service. Trial jurisdiction for a particular offence must still be checked separately.
24	Which State has the maximum number of district courts in India?	This is not a stable legal proposition suitable for a permanent GK answer because the number and structure of district courts can change through creation, reorganisation and notification. Current eCourts or Department of Justice data should be checked for any year-specific comparison.
25	Who has treaty-making power in India?	International treaties and agreements are concluded by the Union executive in the name of India through the constitutional executive machinery. Parliament does not ratify every treaty as a matter of constitutional requirement. Where domestic law is needed to implement treaty obligations, Parliament may legislate, including under Article 253. Ratification procedures depend on the treaty and the Government of India's treaty-making process.
26	How is the Vice-President of India elected?	Article 66 provides that the Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament, through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, with voting by secret ballot.
27	What does adjournment sine die mean?	Adjournment sine die means adjournment without fixing a day for the next sitting or hearing.
28	What does animus contrahendi mean?	Animus contrahendi means an intention to enter into a legally binding contract or contractual relationship.
29	What does caveat mean?	The Latin word caveat means "let him beware". In Indian civil procedure, a caveat under Section 148A CPC is a formal notice by a person who expects an application to be made in a suit or proceeding and wishes to be heard before an order is passed on it.
30	What does caveat emptor mean?	Caveat emptor means "let the buyer beware". It is a traditional principle that places responsibility on a buyer to examine goods before purchase, subject to important statutory and common-law exceptions, including consumer-protection and sale-of-goods rules.

Official legal references

For authoritative verification, refer to India Code, Constitution of India - Legislative Department, Supreme Court of India, Ministry of External Affairs - Indian Treaties Database and the relevant High Court or statutory authority for court-specific rules.

This is a general legal-knowledge resource. Court practice, local laws, State amendments and case-specific facts can affect the legal position.