Who was the first Chief Justice of India after the Constitution came into force?

Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania was the first Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 and was inaugurated on 28 January 1950.

Was Sir Edward Coke the first Chief Justice of England?

No simple modern office called the �first Chief Justice of England� can accurately be identified that way. Sir Edward Coke was a famous English jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and later Chief Justice of the King�s Bench. The older one-word answer was historically imprecise.

Who was the first Law Minister of independent India?

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the first Law Minister of independent India and chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.

Which famous lawyer defended Sri Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb Case?

Chittaranjan Das defended Sri Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb Case and became widely known for his advocacy in that trial.

Who decides disputes relating to the election of the President or Vice-President of India?

Under Article 71 of the Constitution, all doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with the election of the President or Vice-President are inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court, whose decision is final.

Which law principally governs a Government company in India?

A Government company is governed principally by the Companies Act, 2013. Section 2(45) defines a Government company. Other public-law, audit, procurement, sectoral and constitutional requirements may also apply.

Is the statement that China automatically permits divorce if a woman does not give birth correct?

No. That broad statement is not a reliable legal proposition and should not be used as legal GK. Divorce law in another country must be stated with reference to the current law of that jurisdiction and cannot be reduced to that claim.

How long may a Justice of the United States Supreme Court serve?

Under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, hold office during �good Behaviour�. There is no fixed retirement age or fixed judicial term; service may end by death, resignation, retirement, or removal through impeachment and conviction.

Which Indian State first abolished land revenue or land tax?

This question is historically ambiguous because �land tax�, �land revenue� and particular State levies are not the same legal concept, and reforms occurred at different times. A permanent legal-GK page should not state Haryana as an unquestioned answer without identifying the specific levy and notification.

How many years must a person have served as a High Court Judge to qualify for appointment as a Supreme Court Judge?

Article 124(3) provides several alternative qualifications. One route is service as a Judge of one or more High Courts for at least five years. Other routes include at least ten years as a High Court advocate or being, in the President�s opinion, a distinguished jurist.

Which legal principles help courts control administrative action?

Administrative action may be reviewed through constitutional and administrative-law principles such as legality, natural justice, reasonableness and proportionality, legitimate expectation, non-arbitrariness, rule of law and judicial review. �Judicial activism� is not itself a single doctrinal test.

Can a writ of mandamus ordinarily be issued personally against the President of India for official acts?

Article 361 gives the President constitutional immunity from being answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of official powers and duties. Courts may nevertheless examine the validity of governmental action in appropriate proceedings against the Union or other competent authorities.

Updated: 1 September 2026

Legal General Knowledge: 30 Updated Questions and Answers for Lawyers and Students

This legal general-knowledge guide provides concise but legally qualified answers for lawyers, law students, litigants and entrance-examination candidates. It covers constitutional law, criminal law under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, administrative law, personal law, environmental law, international law and legal history.

Current-law note: several older legal-GK questions require qualification because laws have changed or the original answer was overly broad. Current criminal-law references therefore use the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024, while older IPC formulations are identified only where historically relevant.

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

Questions 1-10

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
1	Who was the first Chief Justice of India after the Constitution came into force?	Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania was the first Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 and was inaugurated on 28 January 1950.
2	Was Sir Edward Coke the first Chief Justice of England?	No simple modern office called the "first Chief Justice of England" can accurately be identified that way. Sir Edward Coke was a famous English jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and later Chief Justice of the King's Bench. The older one-word answer was historically imprecise.
3	Who was the first Law Minister of independent India?	Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the first Law Minister of independent India and chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
4	Which famous lawyer defended Sri Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb Case?	Chittaranjan Das defended Sri Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb Case and became widely known for his advocacy in that trial.
5	Who decides disputes relating to the election of the President or Vice-President of India?	Under Article 71 of the Constitution, all doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with the election of the President or Vice-President are inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court, whose decision is final.
6	Which law principally governs a Government company in India?	A Government company is governed principally by the Companies Act, 2013. Section 2(45) defines a Government company. Other public-law, audit, procurement, sectoral and constitutional requirements may also apply.
7	Is the statement that China automatically permits divorce if a woman does not give birth correct?	No. That broad statement is not a reliable legal proposition and should not be used as legal GK. Divorce law in another country must be stated with reference to the current law of that jurisdiction and cannot be reduced to that claim.
8	How long may a Justice of the United States Supreme Court serve?	Under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, hold office during "good Behaviour". There is no fixed retirement age or fixed judicial term; service may end by death, resignation, retirement, or removal through impeachment and conviction.
9	Which Indian State first abolished land revenue or land tax?	This question is historically ambiguous because "land tax", "land revenue" and particular State levies are not the same legal concept, and reforms occurred at different times. A permanent legal-GK page should not state Haryana as an unquestioned answer without identifying the specific levy and notification.
10	How many years must a person have served as a High Court Judge to qualify for appointment as a Supreme Court Judge?	Article 124(3) provides several alternative qualifications. One route is service as a Judge of one or more High Courts for at least five years. Other routes include at least ten years as a High Court advocate or being, in the President's opinion, a distinguished jurist.

Questions 11-20

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
11	Which legal principles help courts control administrative action?	Administrative action may be reviewed through constitutional and administrative-law principles such as legality, natural justice, reasonableness and proportionality, legitimate expectation, non-arbitrariness, rule of law and judicial review. "Judicial activism" is not itself a single doctrinal test.
12	Can a writ of mandamus ordinarily be issued personally against the President of India for official acts?	Article 361 gives the President constitutional immunity from being answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of official powers and duties. Courts may nevertheless examine the validity of governmental action in appropriate proceedings against the Union or other competent authorities.
13	What is a legal person?	A legal or juristic person is an entity that law recognizes as capable of holding rights and duties, even though it is not a natural human being. Companies and certain statutory bodies are common examples.
14	Who is associated with the Pure Theory of Law?	Hans Kelsen developed the Pure Theory of Law. Harold Laski was a major political theorist, but attributing the Pure Theory itself to Laski would be incorrect.
15	Who is associated with the sociological view that law arises from social facts and the 'living law'?	Eugen Ehrlich is strongly associated with the sociological school of jurisprudence and the concept of the "living law", emphasizing social norms and institutions beyond formal State legislation.
16	What is kidnapping from lawful guardianship under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023?	Section 137 BNS provides that whoever takes or entices any child or person of unsound mind out of the keeping of the lawful guardian without that guardian's consent commits kidnapping from lawful guardianship, subject to the statutory exception. The old gender-and-age formulation under the IPC should not be used for current law.
17	What is dishonest misappropriation of property under current criminal law?	Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, dishonest misappropriation or conversion of movable property to one's own use is a criminal offence. The precise provision and punishment should be applied with the statutory ingredients and facts.
18	Why are Article 253 and international obligations relevant to Indian environmental legislation?	Article 253 empowers Parliament to make law for implementing treaties, agreements and decisions made at international conferences. Major environmental statutes, including legislation following the 1972 Stockholm Conference, form part of India's international-obligation and domestic environmental-law framework.
19	Does the United Kingdom have an 'unwritten Constitution'?	The United Kingdom is more accurately described as having an uncodified Constitution. Important constitutional rules are found in statutes, judicial decisions, conventions and authoritative texts rather than in a single entrenched constitutional document.
20	Who was a pioneering first woman lawyer enrolled in India?	Cornelia Sorabji was a pioneering woman lawyer. Allahabad High Court records state that she was enrolled on 24 August 1921 and describe her as the first Indian woman enrolled there. The Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, 1923 subsequently removed statutory barriers to women entering the profession.

Questions 21-30

No.	Legal question	Updated answer
21	How are Judges of the International Court of Justice elected?	The 15 Judges of the International Court of Justice are elected independently by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Candidates must obtain the required majority in both bodies.
22	What distinguishes rioting from an unlawful assembly under the BNS, 2023?	Under Section 191 BNS, rioting occurs when force or violence is used by an unlawful assembly, or by any member of it, in prosecution of the common object; every member of that assembly is then guilty of rioting. An unlawful assembly does not automatically become a riot unless the statutory requirement of force or violence is met.
23	What is culpable homicide under current Indian criminal law?	The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 retains the concept of culpable homicide. It covers causing death with the legally specified intention or knowledge. Whether culpable homicide amounts to murder depends on the statutory definition, exceptions and facts.
24	Who is the natural guardian of a Hindu minor under Section 6 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956?	Section 6 names the father and, after him, the mother for a legitimate Hindu minor, subject to the Act. The Supreme Court has interpreted "after" so that the mother's guardianship is not postponed until the father's death and may operate where the father is absent, indifferent or otherwise not in actual charge. For a child under five, custody ordinarily remains with the mother.
25	Can a Muslim wife relinquish or remit her mahr?	A wife may remit or relinquish mahr if she has the legal capacity to do so and gives free and informed consent. The old statement that she can do so simply when she is at least 18 years old is incomplete; capacity, voluntariness and applicable personal law must be considered.
26	What does faskh mean in Muslim matrimonial law?	Faskh means judicial dissolution or annulment of a marriage. In Indian Muslim law, statutory grounds on which a Muslim woman may obtain a decree for dissolution are principally set out in the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939. The older answer saying it is dissolution at the husband's instance was incorrect.
27	Is the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities connected with the NHRC?	Yes. Under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, as amended, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities is among the ex officio participants associated with the National Human Rights Commission for specified statutory functions. The exact current text of Section 3 should be checked for the scope of that participation.
28	Is injuria sine damno actionable?	Yes, in the law of torts the maxim means infringement of a legal right without proof of actual damage. Where a legally protected right is violated, an action may lie even without measurable financial loss, subject to the applicable cause of action and defences.
29	Where does the Constitution provide for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief?	Article 42, in Part IV of the Constitution, directs the State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. It is a Directive Principle of State Policy.
30	What does administrative law deal with?	Administrative law governs the powers, procedures and accountability of administrative authorities; principles controlling the exercise of public power; delegated legislation; natural justice; judicial and statutory review; and remedies available where administrative action is unlawful.

Official legal references

For current authoritative text and verification, use the Constitution of India - Legislative Department, India Code, Supreme Court of India, International Court of Justice, and the relevant statutory authority or High Court for State-specific and procedural rules.

Disclaimer: this page is intended for legal education and general knowledge. The applicable law may depend on amendments, local legislation, saved proceedings, personal law, judicial interpretation and the facts of a particular case.