The Calcutta High Court-Profile

      History of Calcutta High Court

• The High Court of Judicature at Fort William was brought into existence by the Letters Patent dated 14 May, 1862, issued under the High Court’s Act, 1861.
• Letters Patent of 1862 was revoked by  Letters Patent of 26 March, 1774.
• Chief Justice Sir Barnes Peacock(1862-1870) who was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court along with others took their oath on 1 July, 1862. They started to hear cases  from 9 July, 1862
• On 26th January, 1950, the High Court of Judicature at Fort William was renamed as High Court at Calcutta. Writ jurisdiction was granted for the first time by the Constitution of India u/a 226.
• Extension of jurisdiction of Calcutta High Court to Chandernagore and Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 18th December, 1953 with retro effect from the 2nd day of May, 1950.
• Hon’ble Mr. Justice Phani Bhusan Chakravartti (1952-1958) became the first native Chief  Justice of Calcutta High Court.
• Hon’ble Dr. Manjula Chellur (2014-2016)became the first Lady Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.

Power of Calcutta High Court 

Calcutta High Court could  take disciplinary action against erring advocates under clause 10 of Letters Patent 1865 by taking one of three courses (i) removing the offender from the roll of Advocates; (ii) suspending him from practising; and (iii) censuring him[ In the matter of an Advocate [1906] 4 CLJ 259]

• The High Court could also itself refer any case for inquiry in which it had reason to believe that an advocate had been guilty of misconduct[section 10(2) Indian Bar Councils Act, 1926; Aswini Kumar v. Arabinda Bose: AIR [1952] SC 369, 372] The Calcutta High Court framed Rules which appear in Part IV Chapter 14 of the Appellate Side Rules. See also: Bar Council of Maharashtra v. M.V. Dabholkar, (1975) 2 SCC 702, at page 709