A control apparatus for a switching device, which is adapted to control conduction and shutoff of the switching device, comprising: a current sensor which is adapted to detect a current flowing in the switching device; a first comparison circuit which is adapted to compare a detected current of the current sensor with a first reference value determined in advance as indicating that the suppression of a surge voltage occurring at a time of a current shutoff of the switching device is necessary, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the first reference value, output a surge suppression signal; a second comparison circuit which is adapted to compare the detected current of the current sensor with a second reference value, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the second reference value, output an overcurrent detection signal; a third comparison circuit which is adapted to compare the detected current of the current sensor with a third reference value, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the third reference value, output a pass-through current detection signal; and a first shutoff circuit (80, 95) which is adapted to shut off the switching device when the surge suppression signal is output from the first comparison circuit by gradually lowering a gate potential of the switching device during shutoff, a second shutoff circuit (80, 94) which is adapted to shut off the switching device when the surge suppression signal is output from the first comparison circuit and the overcurrent detection signal is output from the second comparison circuit, or when the pass-through current detection signal is output from the third comparison circuit, wherein the first reference value is set to be smaller than the second reference value which is determined in advance to detect an overcurrent flowing in the switching device, and wherein the second reference value is set to be smaller than the third reference value which is determined in advance to detect a pass-through flowing in the switching device. a current sensor which is adapted to detect a current flowing in the switching device; a first comparison circuit which is adapted to compare a detected current of the current sensor with a first reference value determined in advance as indicating that the suppression of a surge voltage occurring at a time of a current shutoff of the switching device is necessary, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the first reference value, output a surge suppression signal; a second comparison circuit which is adapted to compare the detected current of the current sensor with a second reference value, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the second reference value, output an overcurrent detection signal; a third comparison circuit which is adapted to compare the detected current of the current sensor with a third reference value, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the third reference value, output a pass-through current detection signal; and a first shutoff circuit (80, 95) which is adapted to shut off the switching device when the surge suppression signal is output from the first comparison circuit by gradually lowering a gate potential of the switching device during shutoff, a second shutoff circuit (80, 94) which is adapted to shut off the switching device when the surge suppression signal is output from the first comparison circuit and the overcurrent detection signal is output from the second comparison circuit, or when the pass-through current detection signal is output from the third comparison circuit, wherein the first reference value is set to be smaller than the second reference value which is determined in advance to detect an overcurrent flowing in the switching device, and wherein the second reference value is set to be smaller than the third reference value which is determined in advance to detect a pass-through flowing in the switching device.