Madhya Pradesh High Court - Principal Seat and Benches

Principal Seat and Benches

The present state of Madhya Pradesh, as is well known, was originally created as Central Province on 02/11/1861, as Judicial Commission's territory and was administered by the Judicial Commissioner. The Judicial Commissioner's court at Nagpur was, at that time, the highest Court of the territory. It was converted into a Governor's province in 1921, when it became entitled to a full-fledged High Court for administration of Justice.

Meanwhile Berar, a part of Nijam's state of Hyderebad, was transferred in 1933 to the Central Province, for administration. This gave the state its new name Central Provinces and Berar. Thereafter, by virtue of Letters Patent dated 2 January 1936, issued under Section 108 of the Government of India Act, 1915, by King Emperor, George the Fifth, Nagpur High Court was established for Central Pronvices & Berar. This Letters Patent, whereunder the Nagpur High Court was constituted and invested with jurisdiction, continued in force even after the adoption of the constitution of India on 26 January 1950 by virtue of Articles 225 & 372 thereof.

On 1 November 1956, new state of Madhya Pradesh was constituted under States Reorganization Act. Subsection (1) of Section 49 of the States Re-organization Act ordained that from the appointed day i.e., 1 November 1956, the High Court exercising jurisdiction, in relation to the existing state of Madhya Pradesh, i.e. Nagpur High Court, shall be deemed to be the High Court for the present state of Madhya Pradesh. Thus Nagpur High Court was not abolished but by a legal fiction it became High Court for the new state of Madhya Pradesh with its seat at Jabalpur.

on 1 November 1956, constituted two temporary benches of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, one at Indore and the other at Gwalior. later came into existence as the permanent benches on 28 November 1968.

The principal seat of the court is Jabalpur. The court is housed in an impressive building constructed by Raja Gokul Das in 1899. The building was designed by Henry Irwin in 1886. The construction work of this building was commenced in 1886 and completed in 1889. The building was constructed in brick-lime with ornamental towers and cornices. The architecture of the building is mixed baroque and oriental. The arches as well as the bastions at the corner are ornamental. There are 14 court rooms in this building.