Madhya Pradesh High Court

Madhya Pradesh High Court
Established	1956
Country	India
Location	Jabalpur, M.P. (Principal Seat) Indore & Gwalior (circuit benches)
Composition method	Presidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of India and Governor of respective state.
Authorized by	Constitution of India
Decisions are appealed to	Supreme Court of India
Judge term length	mandatory retirement by age of 62
Number of positions	42
Website	http://mphc.gov.in/
Chief Justice
Currently	AJAY MANIKRAO KHANWILKAR

The Madhya Pradesh High Court (Hindi: मध्य प्रदेश उच्च न्यायालय) is the High Court of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It was established as the Nagpur High Court on 2 January 1956 by Letters Patent dated 2 January 1936, issued under Section 108 the Government of India Act, 1935. This Letters Patent 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 the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was enacted. The new state of Madhya Pradesh was constituted under S.9 thereof. Subsection (1) of Section 49 of the States Re-organisation 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.

The court has a sanctioned judge strength of 42.

Principal seat & 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 Reorganisation Act. Subsection (1) of Section 49 of the States Re-organisation 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.

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.

Principal seat & Benches

on 1 November 1956, constituted two temporary benches of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, one at Indore and the other at Gwalior. later by a Notification, issued in the exercise of the powers conferred by the Subsection (2) of section 51 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 came into existence as the permanent benches on 28 November 1968.

Chief Justice

Justice Ajay Manik Rao Khanwilkar who is currently the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court was Born on July 30, 1957 . Enrolled as Advocate on February 10, 1982. Practised on Civil, Criminal and Constitutional sides before the Subordinate Courts, Tribunals and High Court of Judicature at Bombay on the Appellate side and Original side. Practised exclusively in the Supreme Court of India from July, 1984.

Appointed as Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000 and confirmed as permanent Judge on April 8, 2002.

Appointed as Chief Justice of the High court of Himachal Pradesh on 4th April, 2013.

Appointed as Chief Justice of the High court of Madhya Pradesh on November 24, 2013.

Former Chief Justices

Nagpur High Court

Chief Justice	Term
Gilbert Stone	9 January 1936–
Frederick Louis Grille
Bhuvaneshwar_Prasad_Sinha	1951–1954
M. Hidayatullah	1954–31 October 1956