High courts of India - List, important facts and their jurisdiction
Published on Apr 20, 2020
High Courts in India: Overview
- The High Court of a State is the highest court of the State and all other courts of the State work under it.
- Normally there is one High Court in every State but there can be only one High Court for two or more States as well (Article 231), according to the constitution.
- There are 25 High Courts in India.
- The Calcutta High Court, established in 1862, is the oldest High Court in India. The Bombay and Madras High Courts were also established in the same year.
- The newest High Courts are the Telangana Court and Andhra Pradesh High Court, both established in the year 2019.
- In every High Court, there is a Chief Justice and many other judges whose number is defined by the President of India.
- The Bombay, Madras and Calcutta High Courts are the three Chartered High Courts in India
- The Madras Law Journal, published from the Madras High Court, was the first journal in India dedicated to reporting judgements of a Court (1891).
List of High Courts in India
|
S.NO.
|
Name
|
Year
|
Territorial Jurisdiction
|
Seat
|
- 1
|
Kolkata
|
1862
|
West Bengal, Andman & Nicobar Islands
|
Kolkata ( Bench of port Blair)
|
-
|
Bombay
|
1862
|
Maharashtra, Dadar, & Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman Diu
|
Mumbai (Bench at Panaji, Aurangabad and Nagpur)
|
-
|
Chennai
|
1862
|
Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry
|
Chennai (Bench at Madurai)
|
-
|
Allahabad
|
1866
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
Allahabad (Bench at Lucknow)
|
-
|
Karnataka
|
1884
|
Karnataka
|
Bengaluru (Bench at Dharwad and Gulbarga)
|
-
|
Patna
|
1916
|
Bihar
|
Patna
|
-
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
1928
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
Sri Nagar & Jammu
|
-
|
Punjab & Haryana
|
1947
|
Punjab, Haryana , Chandigarh
|
Chandigarh
|
-
|
Guwahati
|
1948
|
Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh
|
Guwahati (Bench at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar
|
-
|
Orissa
|
1948
|
Orissa
|
Cuttack
|
-
|
Rajasthan
|
1949
|
Rajasthan
|
Jodhpur ( Bench – Jaipur)
|
-
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
1956
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
Jabalpur (Bench –Indore , Gwalior)
|
-
|
Kerala
|
1958
|
Kerala & Lakshadweep
|
Ernakulam
|
-
|
Gujarat
|
1960
|
Gujarat
|
Ahmedabad
|
-
|
Delhi
|
1966
|
Delhi
|
Delhi
|
-
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
1966
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
Shimla
|
-
|
Sikkim
|
1975
|
Sikkim
|
Gangtok
|
-
|
Chhattisgarh
|
2000
|
Chhattisgarh
|
Bilaspur
|
-
|
Uttarakhand
|
2000
|
Uttarakhand
|
Nainital
|
-
|
Jharkhand
|
2000
|
Jharkhand
|
Ranchi
|
-
|
Tripura
|
2013
|
Tripura
|
Agartala
|
-
|
Manipur
|
2013
|
Manipur
|
Imphal
|
-
|
Meghalaya
|
2013
|
Meghalaya
|
Shillong
|
-
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
2019
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
Amravati
|
-
|
Telangana
|
2019
|
Telangana
|
Hyderabad
|
Appointment of the Judges
- The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President with the consultation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor of the State.
- The other judges are appointed by the will of the President, Governor and the Chief Justice of the High Court.
Qualifications for the Judges
- He should be a citizen of India.
- He should have been an advocate in one or more High Courts in India or a judge for at least 10 years in subordinate courts in India.
Tenure:
- Originally the age of the retirement of the judges of the High Courts was fixed at 60 but it was raised to 62 in 1963 according to the 15th amendment of the Constitution.
Removal of the Judges
- A judge may leave his office by resigning. He will send his letter of resignation to the President.
- His office would be considered to have been vacated if he is appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court or is transferred to some other High Court.
- A judge of a High Court may also be removed like a judge of the Supreme Court. A judge of the High Court may be removed by the President if the Parliament passes a motion against him by an absolute majority and 2/3rd majority of the members present and voting, both the Houses sitting separately.
Salary of High Court Judge
- The pay of the Chief Justice of a High Court is rupees 280,000/- per month and that of the other judges is rupees 250,000/- per month.
Powers and Functions of High Court
High Court has the following jurisdiction and powers:
1) Power to issue certain writs:-Every High Court has the power to issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo-warranto and certiorari for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights or for other purposes.
2) Power of Superintendence: Every High Court has superintendence over all Courts and Tribunals throughout the territories in relation to which it exercises jurisdiction.
3) Power to transfer case: If the High Court is satisfied that a case pending in a court subordinate to it involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Constitution, the determination of which is necessary for the disposal of the case, it shall withdraw the case and may- Either dispose of the case itself or determine the said question of law and return the case to the court from which the case has been so withdrawn together with a copy of its judgment on such question, and the said court shall on receipt thereof proceed to dispose of the case in conformity with such judgment.
4) Consultation in the appointment and posting etc. of District Judges: The High Court is consulted by the Governor in the appointment, posting and promotion of District Judges. It is also consulted in the appointment of other members of the State Judicial Service.
5) Control over subordinate courts: The control over district court and courts subordinate thereto including the posting and promotion of and the grant of leave to persons belonging to the judicial service of a State and holding any post inferior to the post of district judge is vested in the High Court.
6) Other original and appellate powers: The High Court has original and appellate jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters as conferred by the Codes of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Letters of Patent.
High Courts in India
- Delhi is the only Union Territory that has a High Court of its own. All other UT’s fall under the jurisdiction of different State High Courts
- Though Orissa is renamed as Odisha the name of the High Court is not changed, it is still Orissa High Court.
- Guwahati High Court was originally known as Assam High Court and renamed in 1971.
- Karnataka High Court was originally known as Mysore High Court.
- Punjab and Haryana High Court were originally known as Punjab High Court and renamed in 1966.
- Though Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras have renamed after the Independence the High Court’s names have not changed.
- The Andhra Pradesh High Court was renamed as the Hyderabad High Court by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.
Important Terms related to High Courts in India:
Tribunal – A tribunal is a term for anybody acting judicially, whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title. For example, an advocate appearing before a Court on which a single Judge was sitting could describe that judge as ‘their tribunal’.
Permanent Bench – A permanent bench comprises one or more High Court judges who sit yearlong at a particular location that is different from the permanent seat of the High Court.
Circuit Bench – A Circuit Bench is for territories which are far-flung but do not have too many matters to justify a full-fledged permanent bench. As a result, once or twice a year, some judge’s travel to these areas and dispose of all the High Court appeals of that jurisdiction.
Division Bench – In a Division Bench, a case is heard and judged by at least 2 judges.
Full Bench – A Full bench refers to a court of law consisting of a greater-than-normal number of judges.
The appeal order is the following: tehsil-kotwali-criminal/civil courts → district court → high court → supreme court.
Each state is divided into judicial districts presided over by a district and sessions judge. He is known as district judge when he presides over a civil case, and sessions judge when he presides over a criminal case. He is the highest judicial authority below a high court judge. Below him, there are courts of civil jurisdiction, known by different names in different states.
Under Article 141 of the constitution, all courts in India — including high courts — are bound by the judgments and orders of the Supreme Court of India by precedence.
COURTS UNDER A HIGH COURT
- District courts
- District munsiff courts
- Courts of judicial magistrates of first class
- Courts of judicial magistrates of second class
- E-courts
Court
|
Established
|
Act established
|
Jurisdiction
|
Principal seat
|
Bench(es)
|
Judges
|
Chief Justice
|
Total Strength
|
Permanent Judges
|
Additional Judges
|
Allahabad High Court
|
17 March 1866
|
Indian High Courts Act 1861
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
Allahabad
|
Lucknow
|
160
|
76
|
84
|
Govind Mathur
|
Andhra Pradesh High Court
|
1 January 2019
|
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
Amaravati
|
—
|
37
|
28
|
9
|
J. K. Maheshwari
|
Bombay High Court
|
14 August 1862
|
Indian High Courts Act 1861
|
Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Maharashtra
|
Mumbai
|
Aurangabad, Nagpur, Panaji
|
94
|
71
|
23
|
B. P. Dharmadhikari
|
Calcutta High Court
|
1 July 1862
|
Indian High Courts Act 1861
|
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, West Bengal
|
Kolkata
|
Port Blair
Jalpaiguri
|
72
|
54
|
18
|
T. B. Radhakrishnan
|
Chhattisgarh High Court
|
1 November 2000
|
Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000
|
Chhattisgarh
|
Bilaspur
|
—
|
22
|
17
|
5
|
P. R. Ramachandra Menon
|
Delhi High Court
|
31 October 1966
|
Delhi High Court Act, 1966
|
National Capital Territory of Delhi
|
New Delhi
|
—
|
60
|
45
|
15
|
Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel
|
Gauhati High Court
|
1 March 1948
|
Government of India Act 1935
|
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland
|
Guwahati
|
Aizawl, Itanagar, Kohima
|
24
|
18
|
6
|
Ajai Lamba
|
Gujarat High Court
|
1 May 1960
|
Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960
|
Gujarat
|
Ahmedabad
|
—
|
52
|
39
|
13
|
Vikram Nath
|
Himachal Pradesh High Court
|
25 January 1971
|
State of Himachal Pradesh Act, 1970
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
Shimla
|
—
|
13
|
10
|
3
|
Lingappa Narayana Swamy
|
Jammu and Kashmir High Court
|
26 March 1928
|
Letters Patent issued by then Maharaja of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
|
Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh
|
Srinagar/Jammu
|
—
|
17
|
13
|
4
|
Gita Mittal
|
Jharkhand High Court
|
15 November 2000
|
Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000
|
Jharkhand
|
Ranchi
|
—
|
25
|
19
|
6
|
Ravi Ranjan
|
Karnataka High Court
|
1884
|
Mysore High Court Act, 1884
|
Karnataka
|
Bangalore
|
Dharwad, Gulbarga
|
62
|
47
|
15
|
Abhay Shreeniwas Oka
|
Kerala High Court
|
1 November 1956
|
States Reorganisation Act, 1956
|
Kerala, Lakshadweep
|
Kochi
|
—
|
47
|
35
|
12
|
S. Manikumar
|
Madhya Pradesh High Court
|
2 January 1936
|
Government of India Act 1935
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
Jabalpur
|
Gwalior, Indore
|
53
|
40
|
13
|
Ajay Kumar Mittal
|
Madras High Court
|
15 August 1862
|
Indian High Courts Act 1861
|
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
|
Chennai, Madurai
|
Tamil Nadu
|
75
|
56
|
19
|
Amreshwar Pratap Sahi
|
Manipur High Court
|
25 March 2013
|
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012
|
Manipur
|
Imphal
|
—
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
Ramalingam Sudhakar
|
Meghalaya High Court
|
23 March 2013
|
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012
|
Meghalaya
|
Shillong
|
—
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
Mohammad Rafiq
|
Orissa High Court
|
3 April 1948
|
Orissa High Court Ordinance, 1948
|
Odisha
|
Cuttack
|
—
|
27
|
20
|
7
|
Sanju Panda
(acting)
|
Patna High Court
|
2 September 1916
|
Letters Patent issued by the British Crown
|
Bihar
|
Patna
|
—
|
53
|
40
|
13
|
Sanjay Karol
|
Punjab and Haryana High Court
|
15 August 1947
|
Punjab High Court Ordinance, 1947
|
Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab
|
Chandigarh
|
—
|
85
|
64
|
21
|
Ravi Shankar Jha
|
Rajasthan High Court
|
21 June 1949
|
Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949
|
Rajasthan
|
Jodhpur
|
Jaipur
|
50
|
38
|
12
|
Indrajit Mahanty
|
Sikkim High Court
|
16 May 1975
|
The 36th Amendment to the Indian Constitution
|
Sikkim
|
Gangtok
|
—
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
Arup Kumar Goswami
|
Telangana High Court
|
1 January 2019
|
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014
|
Telangana
|
Hyderabad
|
—
|
24
|
18
|
6
|
Raghvendra Singh Chauhan
|
Tripura High Court
|
26 March 2013
|
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012
|
Tripura
|
Agartala
|
—
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi
|
Uttarakhand High Court]
|
9 November 2000
|
Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000
|
Uttarakhand
|
Nainital
|
—
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Ramesh Ranganathan
|
Total
|
1079
|
771
|
308
|
|