Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court (Oriya: ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଉଚ୍ଚ ନ୍ୟାୟାଳୟ)(Hindi: ओडिशा प्रदेश उच्च न्यायालय) is the High Court of the state of Orissa.

Bengal Presidency was a vast province including present day Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal. It was difficult to administratively manage such a vast area, inhabited by people speaking in different languages and having different traditions. Administrative exigencies required separation of such areas which originally did not from part of Bengal. So, new province of Bihar and Orissa was formed on March 22, 1912. However, the said new province of Bihar and Orissa was under the jurisdiction of Calcutta High Court.

On February 9, 1916, in exercise of the powers under Section 113 of the Government of India Act, 1915, the King of England issued letters of patent constituting High Court of Patna. Orissa was placed under the jurisdiction of Patna High Court. Although, on May 18, 1916, Circuit Court of Patna High Court for Orissa held its first sitting at Cuttack.

On April 1, 1936, Orissa was made a separate province but no separate High Court was provided for it. People raised their voice for a separate High Court in their state. After a long battle, Government of India agreed to create a new High Court, and for that purpose the Government of India issued the Orissa High Court Order, 1948, under the Section 229(1) of the Government of India Act, 1935, on April 30, 1948. This order clearly stated that "from the 5th day of July, 1948, there shall be a Court for the Province of Orissa, which shall be a Court of Record". Finally, on July 26, 1948, Orissa High Court was formally inaugurated.

The seat of the court is Cuttack. The court has a sanctioned judge strength of 27.