Supreme Court clarifies reach of Isaac Wunder orders and High Court’s power to restrain vexatious litigants

The Supreme Court clarified the scope and nature of Isaac Wunder orders, which are designed to prevent vexatious litigants from instituting repeated or abusive legal proceedings. The Court held that there is no constitutional or statutory requirement that such orders—when made in the District or Circuit Court—must be geographically limited to a single district or circuit; rather, the orders may be effective across the State, provided jurisdiction is properly assumed. Furthermore, the Supreme Court confirmed the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction to make similar orders restricting a litigant from pursuing proceedings in any court, not only the High Court, where justified by persistent abuse of process. The judgment also distinguished between the High Court’s supervisory jurisdiction over inferior courts and any supposed 'protective' jurisdiction, emphasising the autonomy of courts of local and limited jurisdiction. The appeal thus provided clarification on the legal foundations and permissible reach of court-imposed restrictions on vexatious litigants.