Calcutta High Court

Calcutta High Court of Appeal and their functions were transferred to District Diwani Adalats. Between and , the King’s Court and the Company’s Court formed the dual system of courts with separate jurisdictions. The Indian High Courts Act of empowered the Crown to establish the High Courts of Judicature at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay and this also led to the abolition of Supreme Courts. This was considered a landmark in the evolution of High Courts in India. Later, the Government of India Act of effected considerable changes in the nature and jurisdiction of the High Courts. Between independence and the enforcement of the Constitution, seven High Courts at Punjab, Assam, Orissa, Rajasthan, Travancore, Mysore and Jammu and Kashmir were established. The other High Courts were established later. The Constitution of India after being enforced recognized all the existing High Courts and empowered the Parliament to establish High Courts for all the States or combined High Courts for two or more States and Union Territories. The nd Constitutional Amendment Act, brought in drastic changes in the jurisdiction of the High Courts. Thus, in the very beginning, there were only the three High Courts of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. The Acts and regulations prior to independence brought in remarkable changes in their organization and jurisdiction, thereby ensuring their independence and impartiality. After the enforcement of the Constitution, their positions have been strengthened and apart from their original and appellate jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases they also act as the protector and interpreter of the Constitution. Source: Sumeet Malik, V.D. Kulshreshtha’s Landmarks in Indian Legal and Constitutional History, EBC Publishing Private Ltd, Lucknow, . With respect to the establishment of the Supreme Court of India, the Government of India Act, is a landmark legislation. The Act attempted to change the structure of the Indian government. There was a shift from a ‘unitary’ to a ‘federal’ type of government necessitating the need of a Federal Court. Thus, the Act made specific provision in this regard and the Federal Court was