Full faith and credit clause
Also called: Article 261 · Topic: Federalism and Centre-State Relations · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The full faith and credit clause is Article 261 of the Constitution. It says that public acts, records and court rulings of the Union and of every state must be fully recognised everywhere in India. A record made in one state cannot be ignored in another. Final judgments of civil courts can also be enforced anywhere in the country. This holds India together as one legal space, even though it has many state governments.
Example
A civil court in Kerala orders a person to pay money to a trader. The person moves to Punjab. Under Article 261, the Kerala court's final judgment can be enforced in Punjab. The person cannot escape it just by changing state.
Don't confuse with
- Freedom of trade and commerce (Art. 301): makes trade free across India. Article 261 is about recognising legal acts, records and court rulings, not about moving goods.