Overview of Indian Court Hierarchy

The Indian judicial system follows a pyramidal structure with the Supreme Court at the apex, followed by High Courts, District Courts, and subordinate courts. This hierarchy determines appellate jurisdiction and judicial review.

1. Supreme Court of India

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal. Established under Article 124 of the Constitution, it has original, appellate, and advisory jurisdiction.

• Composition: Chief Justice of India (CJI) and 33 other judges (maximum strength)
• Original Jurisdiction: Disputes between Centre and States, Fundamental Rights enforcement (Article 32)
• Appellate Jurisdiction: Appeals against High Court judgments (Article 136 - Special Leave Petition)
• Advisory Jurisdiction: President can seek Supreme Court's opinion (Article 143)
• Review Power: Can review its own judgments (Article 137)

2. High Courts

Each state has a High Court (some states share a High Court). High Courts are courts of record with powers of judicial review over state legislation and executive action.

• Composition: Chief Justice and other judges appointed by President
• Original Jurisdiction: Civil/criminal cases of specified value, Company law matters, Election petitions
• Appellate Jurisdiction: Appeals from District Courts and subordinate courts
• Writ Jurisdiction: Article 226 - Can issue writs for enforcement of fundamental and legal rights
• Supervisory Jurisdiction: Over all subordinate courts in the state (Article 227)

List of High Courts in India

• Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench)
• Bombay High Court (Aurangabad, Nagpur, Goa benches)
• Calcutta High Court (Port Blair, Jalpaiguri benches)
• Delhi High Court
• Madras High Court (Madurai Bench)
• Karnataka High Court (Dharwad, Gulbarga benches)
• Andhra Pradesh High Court (Amaravati)
• Telangana High Court (Hyderabad)
• And 17 others including Guwahati, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, etc.

3. District Courts (District & Sessions Courts)

Each district has a District Court headed by a District Judge. It is the highest court at the district level and handles both civil and criminal matters.

• District Judge: Head of the District Judiciary
• Additional District Judge: Assists the District Judge
• Sessions Court: Criminal jurisdiction - tries serious offenses (murder, rape, dacoity)
• Appellate Jurisdiction: Appeals from subordinate courts (Civil Judge and Magistrate)

4. Subordinate Courts (Magistrate & Civil Judge Courts)

Civil Courts (Under CPC)

• Senior Civil Judge Court: Jurisdiction over higher value civil suits
• Junior Civil Judge Court: Jurisdiction over smaller value civil suits
• Munsif Court: Lowest level of civil court

Criminal Courts (Under CrPC)

• Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM): Head of criminal courts at district level
• First Class Magistrate: Can impose up to 3 years imprisonment and fine up to ₹10,000
• Second Class Magistrate: Can impose up to 1 year imprisonment and fine up to ₹5,000
• Executive Magistrate: Handles administrative functions (maintenance orders, preventive detention)

5. Special Tribunals and Commissions

• Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT): Service matters of central government employees
• Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT): Appeals on income tax matters
• National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT): Corporate and insolvency matters
• Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT): Recovery of bank debts
• Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT): Military service matters
• Lok Adalat: Alternative dispute resolution for compromise settlements

Appellate Hierarchy

• Civil Appeals: Civil Judge → Senior Civil Judge → District Judge → High Court → Supreme Court
• Criminal Appeals: Magistrate → Sessions Court → High Court → Supreme Court
• Writ Petitions: Directly to High Court (Article 226) or Supreme Court (Article 32)