List of High Courts in India: Total 25 High Courts Explained

High Courts in India

• The High Court of a State is the highest court of the State and all other courts of the State work under it.
• Normally there is one High Court in every State but there can be only one High Court for two or more States as well (Article 231), according to the constitution.
• There are 25 High Courts in India.
• The Calcutta High Court, established in 1862, is the oldest High Court in India. The Bombay and Madras High Courts were also established in the same year.
• The newest High Courts are the Telangana Court and Andhra Pradesh High Court, both established in the year 2019.
• In every High Court, there is a Chief Justice and many other judges whose number is defined by the President of India.
• The Bombay, Madras and Calcutta High Courts are the three Chartered High Courts in India
• The Madras Law Journal, published by the Madras High Court, was the first journal in India dedicated to reporting judgements of a Court (1891).

Total High Courts in India

There are currently 25 High Courts in India. Below is the comprehensive list detailing the High Courts for each state and union territory, including their respective years of establishment.

List of High Courts in India
Name	Year	Territorial  Jurisdiction	Seat
Kolkata	1862	West Bengal, Andman & Nicobar Islands	Kolkata ( Bench of port Blair)
Bombay	1862	Maharastra, Dadar, & Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman  Diu	Mumbai (Bench at Panaji, Aurangabad and Nagpur)
Chennai	1862	Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry	Chennai (Bench at Madurai)
Allahabad	1866	Utter Pradesh	Allahabad (Bench at Lucknow)
Karnataka	1884	Karnataka	Bengaluru (Bench at Dharwad and Gulbarga)
Patna	1916	Bihar	Patna
Jammu & Kashmir	1928	Jammu & Kashmir	Sri Nagar & Jammu
Punjab & Haryana	1947	Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Guwahati	1948	Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh	Guwahati (Bench at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar
Orissa	1948	Orissa	Cuttack
Rajasthan	1949	Rajasthan	Jodhpur ( Bench – Jaipur)
Madhya Pradesh	1956	Madhya Pradesh	Jabalpur (Bench –Indore , Gwalior)
Kerala	1958	Kerala & Lakshadweep	Ernakulam
Gujarat	1960	Gujarat	Ahmedabad
Delhi	1966	Delhi	Delhi
Himachal Pradesh	1966	Himachal Pradesh	Shimla
Sikkim	1975	Sikkim	Gangtok
Chhattisgarh	2000	Chhattisgarh	Bilaspur
Uttarakhand	2000	Uttarakhand	Nainital
Jharkhand	2000	Jharkhand	Ranchi
Tripura	2013	Tripura	Agartala
Manipur	2013	Manipur	Imphal
Meghalaya	2013	Meghalaya	Shillong
Andhra Pradesh	2019	Andhra Pradesh	Amravati
Telangana	2019	Telangana	Hyderabad

Appointment of the Judges

The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President of India following consultations with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor of the concerned state. 

The appointment of additional High Court judges is made by the President, in consultation with the Governor and the Chief Justice of the respective High Court.

Qualifications for the Judges

To be eligible for the position, an individual must be a citizen of India.

A candidate must have served as an advocate in one or more High Courts for at least 10 years, or held a judicial office in Indian subordinate courts for a minimum of 10 years.

Tenure:

Originally, the retirement age for High Court judges was 60; however, it was increased to 62 in 1963 following the 15th Constitutional Amendment.

Removal of the Judges

A judge may vacate their office voluntarily by submitting a formal letter of resignation directly to the President. 

The office is also considered vacated if the judge is appointed to the Supreme Court of India or is transferred to another High Court. 

The process for removing a High Court judge mirrors that of a Supreme Court judge. Removal requires a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament with an absolute majority and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, in separate sessions.

Salary of High Court Judge

The monthly salary for the Chief Justice of a High Court is ₹280,000, while other High Court judges receive ₹250,000 per month.

Powers and Functions of the High Court

High Courts in India exercise the following key jurisdictions and constitutional powers:

1) Writ Jurisdiction: Every High Court is empowered to issue writs—including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo-warranto, and certiorari—to enforce Fundamental Rights or for other legal purposes.

2) Power of Superintendence: Each High Court maintains supervisory authority over all courts and tribunals within its territorial jurisdiction.

3) Power to Transfer Cases: If a High Court determines that a case pending in a subordinate court involves a substantial constitutional interpretation necessary for disposal, it may withdraw the case to:

dispose of the matter itself; or

resolve the question of law and return the case to the original court with its judgment, ensuring the lower court disposes of the matter in accordance with that ruling.

4) Advisory Role in Judicial Appointments: The Governor consults the High Court regarding the appointment, posting, and promotion of District Judges, as well as other members of the state judicial service.

5) Control over Subordinate Courts: The High Court holds administrative control over district and subordinate courts, including disciplinary matters, leaves, and promotions for officials below the rank of District Judge.

6) Appellate and Original Jurisdiction: High Courts possess both original and appellate powers in civil and criminal matters as defined by the Codes of Civil and Criminal Procedure and Letters Patent.