What is High Court?
Historical Background
Key Points
10 points- 1.
Established under Article 214 of the Constitution of India.
- 2.
Each state has a High Court, but some High Courts have jurisdiction over multiple states and union territories.
- 3.
Judges are appointed by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the state.
- 4.
Has original jurisdiction in matters of writ petitions (Article 226), election disputes, and company matters.
- 5.
Has appellate jurisdiction over subordinate courts in civil and criminal cases.
- 6.
Can issue writs (habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, quo warranto) for the enforcement of fundamental rights and for other purposes.
- 7.
Supervises the functioning of subordinate courts within its jurisdiction.
- 8.
Judges can be transferred from one High Court to another by the President of India.
- 9.
The retirement age for High Court judges is 62 years.
- 10.
Salaries and allowances of High Court judges are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State.
Visual Insights
High Court vs. Supreme Court
Comparison of key features and powers of High Courts and the Supreme Court.
| Feature | High Court | Supreme Court |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Article 214 | Article 124 |
| Jurisdiction | State | Union |
| Writs | Article 226 | Article 32 |
| Appeals | From lower courts in the state | From High Courts and other courts |
| Appointment of Judges | President in consultation with CJI and Governor | President in consultation with CJI and other judges |
Recent Developments
5 developmentsIncreasing pendency of cases in High Courts.
Use of technology, such as e-courts, to improve efficiency.
Appointment of ad-hoc judges to address the backlog of cases.
Debate on the creation of All India Judicial Service to improve the quality of judges.
Live streaming of court proceedings to promote transparency and accountability.