India's judicial system is made up of the Supreme Court of India and twenty-one subordinate High Courts. These courts have jurisdiction over a state, a union territory or a group of states and union territories. Below the High Courts are a hierarchy of subordinate courts such as the civil courts, family courts, criminal courts and various other district courts. High Courts are established under Part VI, Chapter V, Article 214 of the Indian Constitution.
The High Courts are the principal civil courts of original jurisdiction in the state, and can try all offences including those punishable with death. However, the bulk of the work of most High Courts consists of Appeals from lowers courts and writ petitions in terms of Article 226 of the Constitution of India. The precise jurisdiction of each High Court varies. Each state is divided into judicial districts presided over by a 'District and Sessions Judge'. He is known as a District Judge when he presides over a civil case, and a 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.
Judges in a High Court are appointed by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the governor of the state. High Courts are headed by a Chief Justice. The Chief Justices are ranked #14 (in their state) and #17 (outside their state) in the Indian order of precedence. The number of judges in a court is decided by dividing the average institution of main cases during the last five years by the national average, or the average rate of disposal of main cases per judge per year in that High Court, whichever is higher.
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in the country, established on 1862-07-02. High courts which handle a large number of cases of a particular region, have permanent benches (or a branch of the court) established there. Benches are also present in states which come under the jurisdiction of a court outside its territorial limits. Smaller states with few cases may have circuit benches established. Circuit benches (known as circuit courts in some parts of the world) are temporary courts which hold proceedings for a few selected months in a year. Thus cases built up during this interim period are judged when the circuit court is in session.
The following are the twenty-one High Courts sorted by name, year established, Act by which it was established, jurisdiction, seat of governance (headquarters), benches (branches), and the maximum number of judges sanctioned.
Delhi High CourtLahore High Court established in 1919-03-21. Jurisdiction covered undivided Punjab and Delhi. In 1947-08-11 a separate High Court of Punjab was created with its seat at Simla under the Indian Independence Act, 1947 which had jurisdiction over Punjab, Delhi and present Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. In 1966 after the reorganisation of the State of Punjab, the High Court was designated as the High Court of Punjab and Haryana. The Delhi High Court was established on 1966-10-31 with its seat at Simla.
Guwahati High CourtOriginally known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland, renamed as Guwahati High Court in 1971 by the North East Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
Kerala High CourtThe High Court of Travancore-Cochin was inaugurated at Ernakulam on 7 July1949. The state of Kerala was formed by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. That Act abolished the Travancore-Cochin High Court and created the Kerala High Court. The Act also extended the jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court to Lakshadweep.
Madhya Pradesh High CourtUnder the Government of India Act, 1935 by a Letters Patent dated 2-1-1936 a High Court was established at Nagpur for the Central Provinces. After the reogansiation of states, this High Court was shifted to Jabalpur in 1956.
