High Court
Definition
Constitutional court under Article 214, one for each state or group of states (25 High Courts as of 2026). Writ jurisdiction under Article 226, supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227.
- Constitutional basis
- Article 214, Constitution of India
- Count
- 25 High Courts as of 2026
- Writ jurisdiction
- Article 226
- Supervisory jurisdiction
- Article 227
Common questions
How is a High Court's writ jurisdiction under Article 226 different from the Supreme Court's under Article 32?+
Article 226 lets a High Court issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and also for any other legal right, giving it broader grounds than the Supreme Court's Article 32 power, which is confined to fundamental rights alone.
What does supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 let a High Court do?+
It gives the High Court superintendence over all subordinate courts and tribunals within its territory, letting it correct jurisdictional errors or grave procedural irregularities in lower proceedings, distinct from hearing a regular appeal on the merits.
Related terms
- Admissibility
- Whether a piece of evidence is permitted to be placed before the fact-finder at all. Admissibility is a threshold question, decided by...
- Examination-in-Chief
- The questioning of a witness by the party who called them. For an expert, this is typically limited because the substance is...
- Expert
- A person specially skilled in foreign law, science, art, identity of handwriting or finger impressions, under BSA 2023 Section 39 (formerly IEA...
- Hostile Witness
- A witness who turns adverse to the party calling them. The court, on application, may permit cross-examination of one's own witness under...
- Magistrate Court
- Trial court for less serious offences. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Second Class, and Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) under BNSS 2023.
- Pecuniary Jurisdiction
- Monetary limit on the suits a civil court can try (for example a Small Causes Court has a low pecuniary cap).
- Relevancy
- Logical connection of a fact with the fact in issue. Governed by BSA 2023 Sections 6 to 55 (carrying forward IEA Sections...
- Sessions Court
- Highest criminal court at district level under BNSS 2023. Tries offences punishable with death, life imprisonment or imprisonment exceeding seven years. Headed...
- Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
- Restriction by case type (POCSO court hears child sexual offences; MACT hears motor-accident claims; family court hears matrimonial disputes).
- Supreme Court of India
- Apex court under Article 124 of the Constitution. Original, appellate, advisory and writ jurisdiction. Seat at New Delhi; benches sit only by...
- Territorial Jurisdiction
- Geographic area within which a court can take cognisance. A theft in Pune is tried by a Pune court, not a Mumbai...