Judiciary in India

India has a single integrated system of Judiciary in the view of a single Constitution. The
judiciary in India acts as the custodian of the Indian Constitution and the protector of the
Fundamental Rights of an individual. The Indian Judicial System is one of the oldest legal
systems of the World. The local customs and religion majorly influenced the Indian legal
system. The judicial system in India is integrated and pyramidal in structure with the
Supreme Court at the top and the High Court and the other Subordinate Courts.

Hierarchy of Courts

Types of Courts in India – 7 types of Courts in India

Supreme Court

In our country, the Constitution lays down the foundation of an integrated judiciary having
Supreme Court as the highest and final court of appeal. Article 124(1) of Indian Constitution
states that there shall be a Supreme Court of India constituting of a Chief Justice of India.
Initially, the Supreme Court of India consists of the Chief Justice of India and seven judges.
The President of India appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and can consult with the
Chief Justice of India and also with existing judges of the Supreme Court regarding such
appointment.

1. person to be eligible as a judge of the Supreme Court, he/she must be a citizen of India, and
should have been for at least five years a judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in
succession for at least five years a judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in
succession, or
2. An experience of practicing as an advocate of the High Court for the last ten years or of two
or more such courts in succession
Address- Tilak Marg, Supreme Court, Mandi House, New Delhi, Delhi 110201

High Court

Article 214 of the Indian Constitution states that there shall be a High Court for each State.
The High Court consist of one Chief Justice and other judges. The President appoints the
Chief Justice of the High Court in consultation with the Chief Justice of India while the
 President appointed other judges in consultation with the Governor of the state, Chief
Justice of the High Court as well as the Chief Justice of India.

A person may be appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court:

1. the person is an Indian citizen, and

2. If he had held the judicial office in the territory of India, or
3. At least an advocate for 10 years in the High Court or two or more High Courts in
succession, and the age should be below 62 years.

Total No of High courts in India

o Chennai High Court
o Chhattisgarh High Court
o Delhi High Court
o Gauhati High Court
o Gujarat High Court
o Himachal Pradesh High Court
o Jammu and Kashmir High Court
o Jharkhand High Court
o Manipur High Court
o Meghalaya High Court
o Mumbai High Court
o Odisha High Court
o Punjab and Haryana High Court
o Rajasthan High Court

Civil Courts

Civil courts deal with the cases or the offenses that are committed against a private
individual and not against the State, unlike in criminal cases where the crime is committed
against the State and not a private individual. Civil wrong includes tort, breach of contract,
etc. In India, the hierarchy of Civil Courts is based on the territorial and pecuniary
jurisdiction of the courts. Civil Courts can deal with the cases which are committed within its
territory and also which is within the pecuniary limits of the court.

District Court and Additional District Court

The State Government in India has established the District Courts in every district by
considering the number of cases and population in that district. A district judge presides the
District Courts of India, and these courts administer justice at a district level. These courts
are under administrative and judicial control of the High Court of the State to which that
district belongs. The District and Sessions Judge is the highest Court in each district.