A state’s highest court is known as the High Court. Article 214 of the Constitution of India mandates that every Indian state have a High Court. A joint high court can be established for two or more states or two or more states and one union territory, according to Article 231.
India has 25 High Courts, six of which have jurisdiction over more than one state/unitary authority. Delhi is one of the Union Territories with a High Court of its own. The President of India shall appoint the Chief Justice of each High Court, and the rest of the judges shall be appointed by him.
Judges in High Court
Every High Court has a Chief Justice and several additional judges nominated by the President. The number of judges in the High Courts is not predetermined. From Court to Court and State to State, it varies greatly.
Requirements and Position Titles for electing a High Court Judge
- He must be a citizen of India.
- He must have held a judicial post in India for ten years.
- He must have been an advocate in one or more High Courts for at least ten years to be eligible for appointment as a judge of the High Court.
The High Court’s Authority and Responsibilities
Following are the jurisdiction and powers of the High Court:
- High Court has the power to transfer cases if it determines that a case pending in a lower court involves a substantial question of law as to the constitutional interpretation, which is necessary for the case to be resolved.
- Secondly, the High Courts have the power of superintendence over all courts and tribunals in their jurisdictional area.
- It is the prerogative of every High Court to issue writs such as habeus, mandamus, and prohibition, as well as quo-warranto and certiorari to enforce fundamental rights or for any other reason.
- The High Court consults governors on the appointment and advancement of District Judges. Members of the State Judicial Service are also appointed with their input.
- The High Court has supervision over the district courts and their subordinate courts, as well as the posting and promotion of and the grant of leave to personnel belonging to the judicial service of a State and holding any office lower than that of the district judge.
- Hight Court has original and appellate authority in civil and criminal proceedings, which it receives from the Codes of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Letters of Patent.
Total High Courts in India
| High Court | Year of Establishment | Act of Establishment | Jurisdiction, Principal seat and Bench (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allahabad High Court | 1866 | Indian High Courts Act, 1861 | Jurisdiction: Uttar Pradesh Seat: Allahabad Bench: Lucknow |
| Andhra Pradesh High Court | 2019 | Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 | Jurisdiction: Andhra Pradesh Seat: Amravati |
| Bombay High Court | 1862 | Indian High Courts Act, 1861 | Jurisdiction: Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Maharashtra Seat: Bombay Bench: Aurangabad, Nagpur, Panaji |
| Calcutta High Court | 1862 | Indian High Courts Act, 1861 | Jurisdiction: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, West Bengal Seat: Calcutta Bench: Port Blair, Jalpaiguri |
| Chhattisgarh High Court | 2000 | Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 | Jurisdiction: Chhattisgarh Seat: Bilaspur |
| Delhi High Court | 1966 | Delhi High Court Act, 1966 | Jurisdiction: NCT of Delhi Seat: New Delhi |
| Gauhati High Court | 1948 | Government of India Act, 1935 | Jurisdiction: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland Seat: Guwahati Bench: Aizawl, Itanagar, Kohima |
| Gujarat High Court | 1960 | Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 | Jurisdiction: Gujarat Seat: Ahmedabad |
| Himachal High Court | 1971 | State of Himachal Pradesh Act, 1970 | Jurisdiction: Himachal Pradesh Seat: Shimla |
| Jammu & Kashmir High Court | 1928 | Letters Patent issued by then Maharaja of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 | Jurisdiction: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh Seat: Srinagar/ Jammu |
| Jharkhand High Court | 2000 | Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 | Jurisdiction: Jharkhand Seat: Ranchi |
| Karnataka High Court | 1884 | Mysore High Court Act, 1884 | Jurisdiction: Karnataka Seat: Bengaluru Bench: Dharwad, Kalaburagi |
| Kerala High Court | 1956 | States Reorganisation Act, 1956 | Jurisdiction: Kerala, Lakshadweep Seat: Kochi |
| Madhya Pradesh High Court | 1936 | Government of India Act, 1935 | Jurisdiction: Madhya Pradesh Seat: Jabalpur Bench: Gwalior, Indore |
| Madras High Court | 1862 | Indian High Courts Act, 1861 | Jurisdiction: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Seat: Madras Bench: Madurai |
| Manipur High Court | 2013 | North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012 | Jurisdiction: Manipur Seat: Imphal |
| Meghalaya High Court | 2013 | North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012 | Jurisdiction: Meghalaya Seat: Shillong |
| Orrisa High Court | 1948 | Orissa High Court Ordinance, 1948 | Jurisdiction: Orissa Seat: Cuttack |
| Patna High Court | 1916 | Letters Patent issued by the then British Crown | Jurisdiction: Bihar Seat: Patna |
| Punjab and Haryana High Court | 1947 | Punjab High Court Ordinance, 1947 | Jurisdiction: Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab Seat: Chandigarh |
| Rajasthan High Court | 1949 | Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949 | Jurisdiction: Rajasthan Seat: Jodhpur Bench: Jaipur |
| Sikkim High Court | 1975 | The 36th Amendment to the Indian Constitution | Jurisdiction: Sikkim Seat: Gangtok |
| Telangana High Court | 2019 | Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 | Jurisdiction: Telangana Seat: Hyderabad |
| Tripura High Court | 2013 | North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Acts (Amendment), 2012 | Jurisdiction: Tripura Seat: Agartala |
| Uttarakhand High Court | 2000 | Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 | Jurisdiction: Uttarakhand Seat: Nanital |