The complete Indian court case type reference
Indian courts classify every case by a type code that fixes its procedure, jurisdiction, court fees, and appeal route. There are more than 130 case-type codes in the eCourts taxonomy, grouped into eight categories from Civil and Criminal through Corporate, IBC, Tax, and Family. This encyclopedia defines the most-used codes across all eight categories.
Every case filed in an Indian court is classified by type. The type determines procedure, jurisdiction, court fees, and appeal routes. There are more than 130 case-type codes in the eCourts taxonomy, organised into 8 major categories: Civil, Criminal, Writ and PIL, Supreme Court matters, Appeals and Revisions, Corporate / IBC / NCLT, Tax and Regulatory, and Family and Miscellaneous. This encyclopedia defines the most-used codes across all eight categories.
Quick Answer
A case type in Indian courts is a code that identifies the procedural category of the matter, for example WP_C for Writ Petition Civil, CRL_A for Criminal Appeal, SLP_C for Special Leave Petition Civil, BA for Bail Application, and COP for Company Petition. Every case has exactly one type. Search cases by type at ecourtsindia.com/search using the ct= parameter. Multiple codes can be comma-separated.
Note: The tables below are a curated snapshot of the most-used codes. Court taxonomies grow and new tribunals come online, so the authoritative, always-current set of case types and court codes is the one exposed by the eCourtsIndia API enums, see ecourtsindia.com/api/docs (programmatic GET https://webapi.ecourtsindia.com/api/partner/enums).
1. Civil Cases
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| CS | Civil Suit |
| OS | Original Suit |
| COM_S | Commercial Suit |
| RFA | Regular First Appeal |
| RSA | Regular Second Appeal |
| SA | Second Appeal |
| FA | First Appeal |
| EA | Execution Application (Civil) |
| CRP | Civil Revision Petition |
| CR | Civil Revision (short form) |
| C_REV | Civil Revision |
| MA | Miscellaneous Application (Civil) |
| RC | Rent Control Case |
| LC | Land Acquisition Case |
| CMA | Civil Miscellaneous Appeal |
| CMAppl | Civil Miscellaneous Application |
| MFA | Miscellaneous First Appeal |
| MJC | Miscellaneous Judicial Case (Civil) |
| RCS_A | Regular Civil Suit: Class A |
| RCS_B | Regular Civil Suit: Class B |
| OMP | Original Miscellaneous Petition |
| SCA | Special Civil Application |
2. Criminal Cases
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| BA | Bail Application |
| ABA | Anticipatory Bail Application |
| CRL_A | Criminal Appeal |
| CRA | Criminal Appeal (DC) |
| CRL_MA | Criminal Miscellaneous Application (DC) |
| CC | Criminal Complaint Case |
| SC | Sessions Case |
| ST | Sessions Trial |
| RCT | Regular Criminal Trial |
| CR_REV | Criminal Revision |
| CRLRC | Criminal Revision Case |
| CRLP | Criminal Leave Petition |
| CRR | Criminal Revision (DC) |
| CR_MISC | Criminal Miscellaneous |
| MCrA | Miscellaneous Criminal Application |
| NDPS | NDPS Act Case |
| SC_ST | SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Case |
| DREF | Death Reference |
| SUM | Summary Trial |
| DV | Domestic Violence |
| MCOC | Motor Vehicle Compensation Case |
| CR_WJC | Criminal Writ Jurisdiction Case |
3. Writ and Public Interest Litigation
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| WP_C | Writ Petition (Civil), most common High Court writ |
| WP_CRL | Writ Petition (Criminal) |
| HCP | Habeas Corpus Petition |
| PIL | Public Interest Litigation |
| WP_PIL | Writ Petition (PIL) |
| WP_C_PIL | Writ Petition (Civil) PIL |
| CONMT | Contempt Petition |
| CWJC | Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case |
| WPC_O | Writ Petition (Original) |
4. Supreme Court Matters
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| SLP_C | Special Leave Petition (Civil), most common SC petition |
| SLP_CRL | Special Leave Petition (Criminal) |
| CA | Civil Appeal |
| TP_C | Transfer Petition (Civil) |
| TP_CRL | Transfer Petition (Criminal) |
| RP_C | Review Petition (Civil) |
| RP_CRL | Review Petition (Criminal) |
| CURP | Curative Petition |
| ADM | Admission Matter |
| REF | Reference |
| Special_Ref | Special Reference |
5. Appeals and Revisions
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| LPA | Letters Patent Appeal (intra-High Court) |
| WA | Writ Appeal |
| G_APP | General Appeal |
| RULE63_APPEAL | Rule 63 Appeal |
| XOBJ | Cross Objection |
| AFT_APPEAL | Armed Forces Tribunal Appeal |
| NGT_APPEAL | National Green Tribunal Appeal |
| MACA | Motor Accident Claims Appeal |
6. Corporate, IBC, and NCLT Matters
The largest category. Covers company petitions, insolvency matters under IBC, and corporate appeals before NCLT and NCLAT.
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| COP | Company Petition |
| IP | Insolvency Petition |
| CP_IBC | Company Petition (IBC) |
| IA_IBC | Interlocutory Application (IBC) |
| IA_IBC_DIS | Interlocutory Application: Disposal (IBC) |
| IA_IBC_LIQ | IA IBC (Liquidation) |
| IA_IBC_PLAN | IA IBC (Resolution Plan) |
| IA_LIQ_PR | IA Liquidation Progress Report |
| IB_PREPACK | IBC Pre-Packaged Insolvency |
| CAPP_AT | Company Appeal (AT) |
| CAPP_AT_INS | Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) |
| CAPP_CA | Company Appeal (Companies Act) |
| CAPP_IBC | Company Appeal (IBC) |
| COMP_APP | Compensation Application |
| COMP_APPEAL | Competition Appeal (AT) |
| CA_CA | Company Application (Companies Act) |
| CA_IBC | Company Application (IBC) |
| CA_MA_CA | Company Application: Merger & Amalgamation (Companies Act) |
| CP_CA | Company Petition (Companies Act) |
| CP_MA_CA | Company Petition: Merger & Amalgamation (Companies Act) |
| CONT_AT | Contempt (Appellate Tribunal) |
| CONT_CA | Contempt Company Act |
| CONT_IBC | Contempt IBC |
| CROSS_APPEAL_CA | Cross Appeal Company Act |
| CROSS_APPEAL_IBC | Cross Appeal IBC |
| CROSS_CA | Cross Application (Companies Act) |
| CROSS_IBC | Cross Application (IBC) |
| INT_CA | Intervention Petition (Companies Act) |
| INT_IBC | Intervention Petition (IBC) |
| MA_CA | Miscellaneous Application (Companies Act) |
| MA_IBC | Miscellaneous Application (IBC) |
| RA_CA | Restoration Application (Companies Act) |
| RA_IBC | Restoration Application (IBC) |
| RCP_CA | Restored Company Petition (Companies Act) |
| RCP_IBC | Restored Company Petition (IBC) |
| REHAB_CA | Rehabilitation Company Act |
| REHAB_IBC | Rehabilitation IBC |
| REV_APP | Review Application |
| REV_CA | Review Application (Companies Act) |
| REV_IBC | Review Application (IBC) |
| REST_APP | Restoration Application |
| TA_AT | Transfer Application (AT) |
| TA_CA | Transfer Application (Companies Act) |
| TA_IBC | Transfer Application (IBC) |
| TOP_AT | Transfer of Proceedings (AT) |
| TP_CA | Transfer Petition Company Act |
| TP_IBC | Transfer Petition IBC |
| VL_IBC | Voluntary Liquidation IBC |
7. Tax and Regulatory
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| ITA | Income Tax Appeal |
| Tax_Ref | Tax Reference |
| RERA | RERA Appeal |
| FEMA | Foreign Exchange Management Act |
GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT): Support for GSTAT case types is rolling out as the tribunal comes online, with its bench court-codes and case types being added to the picker. As coverage expands you will see GSTAT-specific case-type codes, including AA_GSTAT, AP_GSTAT, CA_GSTAT, CD_GSTAT, IA_GSTAT, MA_GSTAT, MU_GSTAT, NA_GSTAT, RA_GSTAT, RM_GSTAT, RS_GSTAT, TA_GSTAT, and WA_GSTAT, entering the taxonomy. Because this set is still being seeded, check the live enum reference above for the current, authoritative list.
8. Family and Miscellaneous
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| GP | Guardianship Petition |
| PP | Probate Petition |
| EP | Election Petition |
| TS | Testamentary Suit |
| CAV | Caveat |
| IA | Interlocutory Application |
| ARB_PET | Arbitration Petition |
| Arb_Pet | Arbitration Petition (variant) |
| Arb | Arbitration |
| ARB_A | Arbitration Appeal |
Search examples
- All civil writs: ecourtsindia.com/search?ct=WP_C
- All bail applications: ecourtsindia.com/search?ct=BA
- All SLPs (civil): ecourtsindia.com/search?ct=SLP_C
- Company and insolvency petitions: ecourtsindia.com/search?ct=COP,IP
- Writ, PIL and Habeas together: ecourtsindia.com/search?ct=WP_C,PIL,HCP
Related reading
Why a Case Type Encyclopedia Is Necessary
Indian courts use hundreds of distinct case type codes across High Courts, District Courts and tribunals. Some codes are shared across courts. Others are local. A single case in real life can be listed under two or three different codes depending on which portal you are looking at. Without a reliable encyclopedia of case types, research becomes unreliable and the same matter gets missed or double counted depending on which query you ran.
The encyclopedia is also a tool for junior lawyers and law students who are learning the practical vocabulary of litigation. A case type code may look like a random acronym but it encodes the kind of matter, the bench, sometimes the section of a statute, and the relief claimed. Learning the codes is learning the shape of the docket. Once the codes become second nature, reading a cause list, a case status page or a judgement caption takes seconds instead of minutes.
The Most Common Case Types Across India
A handful of case types drive the bulk of the docket. WP for writ petition. CRL.A. for criminal appeal. CRL.M.C. for criminal miscellaneous petition, often used for quashing. CS for commercial suit. CA or FAO for civil appeals or first appeals from order. MA for miscellaneous application. MAT.APP. for matrimonial appeal. CO.PET. for company petition. Each of these has a typical life cycle, a typical bench and a typical set of hearings. Knowing the shape of the case type tells you roughly how long the matter will take and what kind of orders are likely.
At the district level, the codes shift to reflect criminal, civil and family court structures. CC for a criminal case filed by the state. ST for a sessions trial. CR for a revision. OS for an original suit in the civil side. RCS for a regular civil suit. SC for sessions case. Each state has minor variations but the shared pattern is clear once you see a few dozen examples. See our companion piece on case status dictionary, which pairs with the case type encyclopedia for a fuller working vocabulary.
How to Use the Encyclopedia in Daily Practice
A working lawyer can keep a short cheat sheet of the fifteen to twenty case types she deals with most often. Stick it on the wall of the chambers. Every junior who joins the team looks at it for the first week and then internalises it. For the longer tail of less common codes, a searchable online encyclopedia like our case type encyclopedia solves the occasional lookup without you having to memorise everything.
Researchers use the encyclopedia differently. They use it to filter data across courts. If you are writing a paper on bail outcomes in India, you want to pull all CRL.M.C. matters from specified High Courts, not everything filed under the broader criminal docket. A structured encyclopedia lets you build such queries without reinventing the taxonomy every time. Academic research on Indian litigation is much easier today because this taxonomy work has been done by multiple platforms.
Edge Cases That Trip People Up
Three edge cases deserve attention. One, the same abbreviation can mean different things in different courts. CRL.M.C. in Delhi High Court means one thing. MC in a different High Court may refer to a different category. Always verify by opening a sample case. Two, some case types are procedural wrappers. A matter filed as a miscellaneous application may actually be the key hearing on the underlying petition. The label can mislead if you read it in isolation. Three, case types evolve. New categories are introduced when the court introduces new procedural structures, for example commercial divisions. Keeping the encyclopedia updated is an ongoing maintenance exercise rather than a one time project.
For practising lawyers, knowing the edge cases is part of what separates a capable litigator from a mechanical one. For search platforms, handling the edge cases is part of what separates a reliable product from one that looks good in a demo and fails in real work. Both sides benefit from the encyclopedia being treated as a living document rather than a finished artefact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a case type code in Indian courts?
A case type code identifies the procedural category of a matter, for example WP_C for Writ Petition Civil, BA for Bail Application, or COP for Company Petition. It fixes the procedure, jurisdiction, court fees, and appeal route, and every case carries exactly one type. You can filter cases by code at eCourtsIndia search.
How many case types exist in the eCourts system?
There are more than 130 case-type codes in the eCourts taxonomy, organised into eight categories: Civil, Criminal, Writ and PIL, Supreme Court matters, Appeals and Revisions, Corporate IBC and NCLT, Tax and Regulatory, and Family and Miscellaneous. Browse them all through eCourtsIndia search.
What is the difference between SLP_C and Civil Appeal (CA)?
SLP_C is a Special Leave Petition seeking permission to appeal under Article 136 of the Constitution. A Civil Appeal proceeds only once that leave is granted, so many SLPs never convert to a CA because leave is refused at the admission stage. You can look up either type at eCourtsIndia search.
What does a COP case type mean?
COP stands for Company Petition, filed under the Companies Act, 2013 before the NCLT. It covers matters like winding-up, oppression and mismanagement, and schemes of arrangement, while insolvency matters use related IBC codes such as IP and CP_IBC. Look up company and insolvency filings at eCourtsIndia search.
How do I search cases by type on eCourtsIndia?
Use the ct= parameter on the search page, for example ct=WP_C for civil writs or ct=BA for bail applications. You can combine codes with commas, such as ct=COP,IP for company and insolvency petitions together. Start a query at eCourtsIndia search and refine it by court and date.
Where can I learn related court terminology?
Pair this encyclopedia with our Case Status Dictionary, which decodes the status labels on a case page, and the Bench Types Explained guide. Together they give you the working vocabulary to read a cause list, status page, or judgement caption quickly.