Basic concept of Doctrine of Merger of judgment of lower to judgement of superior court
The juristic justification of the doctrine of merger may be sought in the principle that there cannot be, at one and the same time, more than one operative order governing the same subject-matter. Therefore the judgment of an inferior court, if subjected to an examination by the superior court, ceases to have existence in the eye of law and is treated as being superseded by the judgment of the superior court. In other words, the judgment of the inferior court loses its identity by its merger with the judgment of the superior court.
This Court has approved this well settled principle that a judgment of the Supreme Court cannot be collaterally challenged on the ground that certain points had not been considered. This Court in Anil Kumar Neotia and Others vs. Union of India and Others, (1988) 2 SCC 587 held that it is not open to contend that certain points had not been urged or argued before the Supreme Court and thereby seek to reopen the issue. The relevant portion of the judgment is as follows:
This Court furthe
