Overview of India’s High Courts

Courts in India: A state’s top court is known as the supreme court. Article 214 of the Indian Constitution mandates the establishment of a High Court in every Indian state. Additionally, under Article 231, a single or joint high court can exist between two or more states. For example, the Bombay High Court has Jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Dada and Nagar Haveli, Goa, and other Indian states.

Telangana High Court and Andhra Pradesh High Court are two of the most recent high courts established in India. In India, there are 25 high courts today (2020). Calcutta High Court, India’s oldest high court, was established in 1862.

The President of India appoints the Chief Justice and other justices to the high court. President Obama must consult a state’s governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice before setting a state’s high court chief justice. The number of judges in a state’s supreme court varies from court to court and state to state, depending on the requirements.

All of India’s High Courts

In India, there are 25 high courts. For all states and territories, the following is a list of High Courts with established dates: (For detail information about – how many high court in India, you can click the link)

List of High Courts in India
NameYearTerritorial 
Jurisdiction
Seat
Kolkata1862West Bengal, Andman & Nicobar IslandsKolkata ( Bench of port Blair)
Bombay1862Maharastra, Dadar, & Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman  DiuMumbai (Bench at Panaji, Aurangabad and Nagpur)
Chennai1862Tamil Nadu & PondicherryChennai (Bench at Madurai)
Allahabad1866Utter PradeshAllahabad (Bench at Lucknow)
Karnataka1884KarnatakaBengaluru (Bench at Dharwad and Gulbarga)
Patna1916BiharPatna
Jammu & Kashmir1928Jammu & KashmirSri Nagar & Jammu
Punjab & Haryana1947Punjab, Haryana , ChandigarhChandigarh
Guwahati1948Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal PradeshGuwahati (Bench at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar
Orissa1948OrissaCuttack
Rajasthan1949RajasthanJodhpur ( Bench – Jaipur)
Madhya Pradesh1956Madhya PradeshJabalpur (Bench –Indore , Gwalior)
Kerala1958Kerala & LakshadweepErnakulam
Gujarat1960GujaratAhmedabad
Delhi1966DelhiDelhi
Himachal Pradesh1966Himachal PradeshShimla
Sikkim1975SikkimGangtok
Chhattisgarh2000ChhattisgarhBilaspur
Uttarakhand2000UttarakhandNainital
Jharkhand2000JharkhandRanchi
Tripura2013TripuraAgartala
Manipur2013ManipurImphal
Meghalaya2013MeghalayaShillong
Andhra Pradesh2019Andhra PradeshAmravati
Telangana2019TelanganaHyderabad

Nominations for the Positions of Judges

The President of India appoints India’s High Court Judges. A High Court judge’s appointment is exclusively within his control. However, the acting Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of that particular state’s High Court may be consulted.

Judges of the High Court may also be moved to other High Courts for various reasons. Ultimately, the Chief Justice of India will have the final say in this matter. To ensure that every issue brought before a court of law is handled fairly and justly, judges are regularly rotated.

Details about the judges’ qualifications

1. They must be Indian.

2. It is expected that he has worked as an advocate in one or more high courts in India or at least ten years in a lower court in India.

3. He should have been a judge in India for five years before being removed.

As a result of the Constitution’s 15th Amendment, the high court judges’ retirement age was changed from 60 to 62 years in 1963.

Tenure:

In 1963, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution raised the retirement age for judges of the High Courts from 60 to 62 years old.

Removal Of The Judges

o If he wants to resign, he can do so. He must notify India’s president of his resignation in writing.

o His post is declared vacant if he is appointed to the Supreme Court or transferred to another high court.

o He can be ousted from office if the parliament votes by an overwhelming majority.

Salary of a High Court Judge

It costs rupees 280,000/- a month to pay the Chief Justice of a High Court and rupees 250,000/- per month to pay the other court judges.

Powers And Functions Of High Courts

Issue writs: The High Court has the authority to grant writs of mandamus, habeas corpus, quo warranto, and other writs.

Superintendence: All courts and tribunals under its Jurisdiction are under its control.

Case transfer: It might withdraw or transfer a case from another inferior court. Those cases that are now pending and have a significant legal question are the ones most likely to be affected.

Appointment of District judges: High Court consultation is required when making appointments, promotions, or postings of district judges. The Supreme Court also assists in selecting members of the State Judicial Service.

Jurisdiction over subordinate courts: The High Court has control over district courts and the posting and promotion of and leaves granted to judicial service members who hold positions lower than district judge.

Other original and appellate powers: Aside from the Code of Criminal Procedure the Letters of Patent, the High Court has a substantive jurisdiction in civil matters.

FAQs: Courts in India

Do you know the total number of High Courts in India?

There are 25 High Courts in India (December 18, 2020). The Indian judicial system comprises the 25 High Courts and the Supreme Court. High courts have Jurisdiction over a Union Territory, a state or a combination of states and territories.

Is there a common High Court in all of India’s states?

There is a joint High Court for Punjab and Haryana in Chandigarh. Guwahati’s High Court also serves the north-east states of Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Is Andhra Pradesh’s High Court located in the state?

By the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act of 2014, the Andhra Pradesh High Court was constituted on January 1, 2019, by Presidential Order.

Which city has been designated as the country’s first Justice City in India?

Located in Amaravathi, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, the state is creating a world-class, India’s first Justice City to support the Judicial System in the state.

Which of India’s High Courts is the oldest?

The Calcutta High Court was founded in 1862, making it the country’s first.

You Can Read Also:

Indian States and Capitals
National Parks in India
Top 10 Longest Rivers in India
List of Waterfalls in India
Top 10 Longest Bridges in India
National Symbols of India
Folk Dances in India
National/Official Languages in India