Compared with Article 32 of the Constitution, the scope of the writ jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226 is:

Article 226 is deliberately wider than Article 32. While Article 32 is confined to the enforcement of fundamental rights, Article 226 enables a High Court to issue writs not only for fundamental rights but also for any other purpose - that is, for the enforcement of any legal right or for any other purpose of administration of law. High Courts, however, cannot issue writs beyond their territorial jurisdiction (subject to the cause-accruing interpretation after the 2015 amendment clarifying territorial limits). The practical breadth of Article 226 makes it the primary forum for most writ litigation.