Calcutta High Court | |
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Calcutta High Court Building
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Established | 1 July 1862 |
Country | India |
Location |
Kolkata, West Bengal (Principal Seat) Jalpaiguri; Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (circuit bench) |
Coordinates | 22°34′6″N 88°20′36″E / 22.56833°N 88.34333°ECoordinates: 22°34′6″N 88°20′36″E / 22.56833°N 88.34333°E |
Composition method | Presidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of India and Governor of respective state. |
Authorized by | Constitution of India |
Decisions are appealed to | Supreme Court of India |
Judge term length | Till 62 years of age |
No. of positions | 32 |
Website | calcuttahighcourt.nic.in |
Chief Justice | |
Currently | Hon'ble Justice Nishita Nirmal Mhatre (Acting) |
Since | December 1, 2016 |
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court building's design is based on the Cloth Hall, Ypres, in Belgium.
The court has a sanctioned judge strength of 63.
The Calcutta High Court is one of the three High Courts in India established at the Presidency Towns by Letters patent granted by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, bearing date June 26, 1862, and is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on July 1, 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861, which was preceded by the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William.
Despite the name of the city having officially changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001, the Court, as an institution retained the old name. The bill to rename it as Kolkata High Court was approved by the Cabinet on July 5, 2016 alongside renaming of its two other counterparts in Chennai and Mumbai However, the High Court still retains the old name.
The seat of the Calcutta High Court is at Kolkata, capital of West Bengal. As per the Calcutta High Court (Extension of Jurisdiction) Act, 1953, the Calcutta High Court's jurisdiction was extended to cover Chandernagore (now called Chandannagar) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as of 2 May 1950. The Calcutta High Court extended its Circuit Bench in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in Jalpaiguri, the divisional headquarters of the North Bengal region of West Bengal.