What is the success rate of review petitions?

Asked by: Ibrahim Erdman Jr.  |  Last update: July 20, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (41 votes)

Review petitions, particularly certiorari petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court, have a very low success rate, typically hovering at 1% or less. Out of thousands of petitions filed annually, only about 70–80 cases are granted, often described as a "rare" event, with over 98% of in forma pauperis (unpaid) petitions denied.

What percentage of cert petitions are granted?

Each term, the Supreme Court receives about 7,000 to 8,000 cert petitions. However, they only grant and hear oral arguments in about 80 cases. This translates to a grant rate of 1% or less.

What comes after a review petition?

A curative petition is the last legal recourse in India, filed after a review petition has been dismissed by the Supreme Court, to seek a review of its final judgment. It is an extraordinary remedy to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice and the abuse of the court's process.

Do people usually win appeals?

No, appeals are generally not successful. Most appeals fail, with reversal rates for trial court decisions often sitting between 10% and 20%. Appellate courts presume the original trial was correct, making it difficult to overturn a decision unless a significant legal error, rather than a disagreement over facts, is proven.

What happens to most requests for Supreme Court review?

Most requests for review by the Supreme Court are denied, as only cases that receive four or more votes from the justices are granted review under the Rule of Four.

Advocate KTS Tulsi Speaks On Ayodhya Verdict, Says 'Success Rate Of The Review Petition Is Dismal'

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Who hears the review petition?

Review petitions are ordinarily to be entertained without any oral arguments by a lawyer. Thus, review petitions are heard “through circulation” by the judges inside their chambers. However, in exceptional cases, the court grants an oral hearing.

What are the grounds for a review petition?

Court may accept review petition only if it is filed on sufficient grounds which are: The discovery of new and important matter or evidence which, after the exercise of due diligence was not within his knowledge or could not be produced by him at the time when the decree was passed or order made.

Is a petition for review an appeal?

When an RTC exercises its appellate jurisdiction, its decision is not appealable to the Court of Appeals (CA) by ordinary notice of appeal. Instead, the aggrieved party must resort to the special mode of appeal known as a Petition for Review under Rule 42 of the Rules of Court.

How often do petitions actually work?

Petitions work best as awareness-raising tools rather than direct causes of change, with success rates highly dependent on being paired with other actions like media pressure or direct lobbying. While major platforms claim thousands of victories, most online petitions fail to reach their goals without significant media coverage.

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