Lok Sabha Question No. 5338 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-28
Subject: New High Court/Benches in States
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: K.R.P. PRABAKARAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5338

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 28.03.2018

## New High Court/Benches in States

5338. SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  High  Court  Benches  and  their  jurisdiction  in  the States, State/ UT-wise;
- (b)  the details of the requests received from the States for establishment  of  separate  High  Courts/Benches  along  with  the action taken thereon including the reasons for pendency; and
- (c)  the time by which separate High Courts/Benches are likely to be set up in each State?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  :  A  Statement  showing  the  details  of  the  High  Court  Bench(es) State/UT-wise  is at Annexure.
- (b)  and  (c):  In  accordance  with  the  recommendations  made  by  the Jaswant  Singh  Commission  and  Judgment  pronounced  by  the  Apex Court  in  W.P.(C)  No.  379  of  2000,Bench(es)  of  the  High  Court  are established after due consideration of  a  complete  proposal  from  the

State  Government,  which  is  to  provide  infrastructure  and  meet  the expenditure, along with the  consent of the Chief Justice of the concerned  High  Court,  which  is  required  to  look  after  the  day  to  day administration  of  the  High  Court  and  its  Bench.  The  proposal  should also have the consent of the Governor of the concerned State.

At present there is no proposal,  which is complete in all aspects, for establishment of benches of High Courts pending for consideration by the Union Government.

Article 214 of the Constitution provides that there shall be a High Court for each State. Accordingly, every State is entitled to have its own High Court. However, the States are required to create and provide all the necessary infrastructure facilities such as, Court Buildings, Quarters for the Judges, court officials and staffs. The State also have to meet all the expenditure for setting up and running of the High Court.

The setting up of separate High Courts/Benches is subject to the creation  of  all  necessary  infrastructure  facilities  by  respective  State Governments/ requisite approval of High Court. Hence precise time in setting up may not be indicated.

## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a ) of  Lok Sabha Unstarred Question  No. 5338 to be answered on 28.03.2018

|   Sl No. | High Court                 | Principal Seat    | Jurisdiction                                         | Permanent Bench          |
|----------|----------------------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
|        1 | Allahabad                  | Allahabad         | Uttar Pradesh                                        | Lucknow                  |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana | Hyderabad         | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana                         | -                        |
|        3 | Bombay                     | Mumbai            | Maharashtra; Goa; Daman & Diu; Dadra & Nagar Haveli; | Nagpur Panaji Aurangabad |
|        4 | Calcutta                   | Kolkata           | West Bengal & Andaman & Nicobar                      | -                        |
|        5 | Chattisgarh                | Bilaspur          | Chattisgarh                                          | -                        |
|        6 | Delhi                      | New Delhi         | NCT of Delhi                                         | -                        |
|        7 | Gauhati                    | Guwahati          | Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, & Arunachal Predesh        | Kohima, Aizawl, Itanagar |
|        8 | Gujarat                    | Sola ((Ahmedbad)  | Gujarat                                              | -                        |
|        9 | Himachal Pradesh           | Shimla            | Himachal Pradesh                                     | -                        |
|       10 | Jammu & Kashmir            | Jammu & Srinagar  | Jammu & Kashmir                                      | -                        |
|       11 | Jharkhand                  | Ranchi            | Jharkhand                                            | -                        |
|       12 | Karnataka                  | Bangalore         | Karnataka                                            | Dharwad Gulbarga         |
|       13 | Kerala                     | Ernakulam (Kochi) | Kerala & Lakshadweep Island                          | -                        |
|       14 | Madhya Pradesh             | Jabalpur          | Madhya Pradesh                                       | Gwalior Indore           |
|       15 | Madras                     | Chennai           | Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry                             | Madurai                  |
|       16 | Orissa                     | Cuttack           | Orissa                                               | -                        |
|       17 | Patna                      | Patna             | Bihar                                                | -                        |
|       18 | Punjab & Haryana           | Chandigarh        | Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh                         | -                        |
|       19 | Rajasthan                  | Jodhpur           | Rajasthan                                            | Jaipur                   |
|       20 | Sikkim                     | Gangtok           | Sikkim                                               |                          |
|       21 | Uttarakhand                | Nainital          | Uttarakhand                                          | -                        |
|       22 | Manipur                    | Imphal            | Manipur                                              | -                        |
|       23 | Meghalaya                  | Shillong          | Meghalaya                                            | -                        |
|       24 | Tripura                    | Agartala          | Tripura                                              | -                        |