JUDICIARY OF UTTAR PRADESH

The judiciary in Uttar Pradesh is essential for administering justice. It comprises the Allahabad High Court, which is the state’s highest court, and various lower courts that handle different types of cases.

Allahabad High Court

Historical Background

• 1834: Allahabad was initially chosen as the seat of the North-Western Provinces’ government.
• 1866: The High Court of Judicature for the North-Western Provinces was established in Agra on 17th March 1866 and later moved to Allahabad on 11th June 1866.
• 1948: The Chief Court of Oudh was merged with the Allahabad High Court, and the seat of the court was officially shifted to Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad).

Important Facts

• Location: Allahabad (Prayagraj)
• Sanctioned Strength: 160 judges
• Permanent Circuit Bench: Lucknow

Functions and Powers

• Article 214: Mandates that every state should have a High Court.
• Article 226: Empowers the High Court to issue writs for enforcing fundamental rights and for other purposes.

Chief Justices of Allahabad High Court (Post-Independence)

Name	From	To
Bidhu Bhusan Malik	1947	1955
OH Mootham	1955	1961
Manulal Chunnilal Desai	1961	1966
Vasishtha Bhargava	1966	1966
Nasirullah Beg	1966	1967
Vidyadhar Govind Oak	1967	1971
Syed Rafat Alam	2011	2012
Shiva Kirti Singh	2012	2013
Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud	2013	2016
Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale	2016	2018
Govind Mathur	2018	Incumbent (as of 9th Dec 2019)

READ MORE – LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT IN UTTAR PRADESH

Subordinate Judiciary

Structure

1. UP Civil Judicial Services: This includes:

• Munsifs: Handle small civil cases.
• Civil Judges: Deal with more significant civil disputes.

1. UP Higher Judicial Services: This includes:

• Civil Judges (Senior Division): Handle complex civil cases.
• Sessions Judges: Preside over criminal cases, including serious offenses.

District Courts

• Role: Each district in Uttar Pradesh has a District Court, which is the highest court in the district.
• Administration: These courts are under the judicial and administrative control of the High Court.
• Appointment: District and Sessions Judges are appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

Family Courts

• Established: Under the Family Court Act, 1984.
• Function: Deal with family-related matters such as divorce, child custody, and maintenance.
• Locations: One in each commissionerate and two in Lucknow and Kanpur.

Lok Adalat

• Purpose: Resolves disputes through mediation and provides free legal aid.
• Jurisdiction: Handles civil, criminal, family, and revenue cases.
• Coverage: Every district in Uttar Pradesh has a Lok Adalat.

Special Courts

• Purpose: Deal with specific types of cases such as those under the SC/ST Act, 1989, and the Anti-Corruption Act.
• Locations: Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, and Gorakhpur.

Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta

Overview

• Established: Under the Lokayukta Act of 1975.
• Function: Investigates and addresses complaints of corruption against public officials.
• First Lokayukta: Vishambar Dayal, appointed on 14th September 1977.
• Term: Lokayukta serves an 8-year term.

Uttar Pradesh Public Services Tribunal

Purpose

• Established: Under the Uttar Pradesh Public Services (Tribunal) Act, 1976.
• Function: Resolves disputes related to the service conditions of public servants.
• Tribunals: There are five such tribunals in the state.

Key Highlights

• Allahabad High Court was founded in 1866 and is a significant institution for justice in Uttar Pradesh.
• District Courts are the highest judicial bodies at the district level and play a crucial role in the local administration of justice.
• Family Courts and Lok Adalats offer specialized and accessible justice for personal and civil matters.
• Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta and Public Services Tribunal provide mechanisms for addressing corruption and service-related disputes.

READ MORE – SOCIAL WELFARE SCHEMES OF UTTAR PRADESH

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