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Hierarchy of Courts in India

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Hierarchy of Courts in

India
Descending Hierarchy

Supreme Court

High Courts

Metropolitan Courts/ District and Sessions Courts


Subordinate Courts

District Courts Sessions Court Revenue courts


1. Civil cases 1. Criminal Cases 1. Deal with case of land revenue on
States
2. Presided over by District Judge 2. Presided over by Sessions Judge
2. Board of Revenue is the highest
3. Two main jurisdictions are 3. Can decide any cases under IPC; court of revenue in India
pecuniary and territorial trials.
3. Followed by Collector- Tehsildars-
4. Pecuniary jurisdiction divides the 4. Can award all kind of Asst. Tehsildars
courts vertically and territorial punishments including capital
jurisdiction divides them punishment (with the approval of
horizontally the HC)
District Courts Sessions Court Revenue Courts
(i) Example: Delhi- pecuniary limit for 5. Followed by Additional/Assistant 5. Hierarchy and nomenclature are
civil cases is Rs. 20 lacs; matters of Sessions Judge who can award different across states and
higher value and appeals go to the any kind of punishment except districts.
DHC (vertical/pecuniary hierarchy) capital punishment.
6. Popularly called revenue officers;
(ii) Delhi has three district courts: 6. Metropolitan Courts: Are collectors, etc.
Patiala House (New Delhi, West Delhi, established for districts with a
South Delhi); Tis Hazari (North Delhi); population of over 1 million; 7. Administrative courts
Karkardooma (East Delhi)– Example: Delhi, Mumbai, 8. These courts deal with matters of
(horizontal/territorial hierarchy Kolkata; Ahmedabad land tax and revenue from
7. Subordinate to Sessions Court cultivation, etc.
District Courts Sessions Court Revenue Courts
5. Followed by Sub Courts presided 8. Followed by the Court of Judicial Trivia: Are District Collectors and DM
over by Civil Judge (Senior Magistrate (First Class); presided functionally different?
division) over by the CJM

6. Principle Junior Civil Court 9. Followed by the Court of Judicial


Magistrate (Second Class)
presided over by Principle Civil presided over by JMSC
Judge (Junior Division)
10. The hierarchy of these courts is
7. Munsif court presided over by vertical on the basis of nature of
Munsif Judge/Civil Judge (Junior offence triable by them and the
division) quantum of punishment they can
award
Sessions Court Revenue Courts
8. Nature of cases: private matters 11. Trivia: Who are District
related to property; contract; Magistrates? How are they placed
banking; insurance, etc. in this hierarchy?
9. Trivia: Are Family courts Civil 12. Nature of cases: theft; murder;
Courts or Criminal? grievous hurt, etc.
► They are courts of record under the Indian
Constitution (A. 214); constitutional courts
► Kinds of jurisdiction:
1. Original
High Courts 2. Writ
3. Appellate (for both civil and criminal matters)
4. Supervisory (227): supervisory authority over all the
subordinate courts and tribunals within its territorial
jurisdiction except military courts and tribunals
► It usually does not exercise its original-civil and
criminal jurisdictions unless
a. There is error apparent on the face of law; substantial
question of law
b. Pecuniary value of a civil case is beyond Rs. 20 lacs
► Writ jurisdiction of HC’s is wider than that of the SC
because:
High Courts
a. They can issue write in case of violation
fundamental rights; and
b. Can also issue writs in case of violation of a legal
right;
Original

Supreme Appellate
Court

Advisory
► Original jurisdiction empowers the Sc to hear cases
brought directly before it without being heard in any
of the lower courts before.
► Original jurisdiction in cases involving GOI and
states.
► Article 32 of COI
Supreme ► Article139A: cases involving substantially the same
questions of law pending before SC and one or more
High Courts or before two or more High Courts may
Court withdraw a case or cases pending before the High
Court or High Courts and dispose of all such cases
itself.
► Matters of international commercial arbitration may
also be directly heard by the SC.
► Civil matters of pecuniary value of Rs. 1 crore and
above- original civil jurisdiction
► Appellate jurisdiction over all the cases which
are brought in appeal before it.
► Relevant articles are 132(1), 133(1) and 134
Supreme where AJ is invoked by a certificate granted by
the HC.
Court ► Power to grant appeal through special leave
under Article 136- it extends to all the courts
and tribunals
► Has appellate jurisdiction over matters of trade,
income tax, customs, excise, securities, family matters,
contempt, professional misconduct, etc.
► Articles 129 and 142 empower the SC to punish for
Supreme contempt of court including contempt of itself.
► The SC also has the power to review its own
Court judgement or order under Article 137 of the COI in
case of an error apparent on the record:
- Example: NEET (2013)- was held valid subsequently
► Curative Petition: evolved in Rupa Hurra vs. Ashok
Hurra
► The court ruled that a curative petition can be
entertained if the petitioner establishes there was a
violation of the principles of natural justice, and that
Supreme he was not heard by the court before passing an order.
► It will also be admitted where a judge failed to disclose
Court facts that raise the apprehension of bias.
► The SC has held that curative petitions must be rare
rather than regular, and be entertained with
circumspection.
► A curative petition must be accompanied by
certification by a senior advocate, pointing
out substantial grounds for entertaining it.
It must be first circulated to a bench of the
Supreme three senior most judges, and the judges
who passed the concerned judgment, if
Court available. Only when a majority of the
judges conclude that the matter needs
hearing should it be listed — as far as
possible, before the same Bench.

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