HIGH COURTS IN INDIA

Overview

• There are 21 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 Chattisgarh (Bilaspur), Uttaranchal (Nainital) and Jharkhand (Ranchi) High Courts, all established in the year 2000
• 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)

Jurisdiction of High Courts

• Each High Court has jurisdiction over a particular state(s) and/or Union Territory(ies)
• High Courts have original and appellate jurisdiction. High Courts also have jurisdiction over writs
• States are divided into judicial districts, presided over by a District Judge or a Sessions Judge, who is the highest judicial authority below the High Court
• The presiding judge is called District Judge when he presides over a civil case, and called a Sessions Judge when presiding over a criminal case
• The High Court is a court of record
• Cases relating to admiralty, marriage and contempt of court are referred directly to the High Court

Judges and Benches

• The Judges of a High Court are appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the state
• The number of Judges in a High Court is decided based on the number of cases instituted and disposed
• High Courts that handle a large number of cases from a particular region, may establish a permanent Bench there. Benches are present in states that come under the jurisdiction of Courts outside its territory
• Circuit Benches are temporary courts that hold proceedings for a few months every year