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Calcutta High Court

High Court in West Bengal, India

Calcutta High Court

Summary

High Court in West Bengal, India

FieldValue
court_nameCalcutta High Court
native_nameকলকাতা উচ্চ আদালত
imageCalcutta highcourt.jpg
captionCalcutta High Court building
established
jurisdictionWest Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
locationPrincipal Seat: Kolkata, West Bengal
coordinates
typePresidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of India and Governor of respective state.
authorityConstitution of India
termsTill 62 years of age
positions72
websitecalcuttahighcourt.gov.in
chiefjudgetitleChief Justice
chiefjudgenameSujoy Paul
termstart16 January 2026

Circuit Benches: Jalpaiguri & Port Blair (A & N Islands)

Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located at Esplanade Row West, Kolkata, West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Gothic Revival building was completed in 1872, and designed by Walter Long Bozzi Granville.

Currently, the court has a sanctioned judge strength of 72.

History

Calcutta High Court in the 1860s
Calcutta High Court in the 1890s

The Calcutta High Court is one of the three High Courts in India established at the Presidency Towns by Letters patent granted by Queen Victoria, and is the oldest High Court in India. It was brought into existence as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William by the Letters Patent dated 14 May 1862, issued under the High Courts Act, 1861, which was preceded by the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William. The court was formally opened on 1 July 1862.

The building was designed by Walter Long Bozzi Granville, and loosely modelled on the Ypres Cloth Hall in Flanders, Belgium, with a similar long facade of serried Gothic pointed arches, and a tall central tower with corner spires. It is constructed of red brick with stucco dressings above a vaulted cloister of Barakur sandstone. It has been described as the only significant secular Gothic building in the city, something of an aberration amid the neoclassical edifices of other government buildings, such as Granville's own earlier General Post Office building in Dalhousie Square.

Despite the name of the city having officially changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001, the Court, as an institution retained the old name. The bill to rename it as Kolkata High Court was approved by the Union Cabinet on 5 July 2016 along with the renaming of its two other counterparts in Chennai and Mumbai. The Bill called High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19 July 2016 and is yet to be passed by both Houses of Parliament. Hence, the High Court still retains the old name.

Principal seat and benches

The seat of the Calcutta High Court is Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. As per the Calcutta High Court (Extension of Jurisdiction) Act, 1953, the Calcutta High Court's jurisdiction was extended to cover Chandernagore (now called Chandannagar) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as of 2 May 1950. The Calcutta High Court extended its Circuit Bench in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in Jalpaiguri, the divisional headquarters of the North Bengal region. On 7 February 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind finalised the opening of the other circuit bench in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal with the jurisdiction area within 5 districts- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.

Chief Justice and Judges

The court has a Sanctioned strength of 72 (Permanent:54, Additional:18) judges.

Sitting Judges of Calcutta High Court-

Currently, Justice Sujoy Paul is the Chief Justice of the court. Sir Barnes Peacock was the first Chief Justice of the High Court. He assumed the charge when the court was founded on 1 July 1862. Sir Romesh Chandra Mitra was the first officiating Indian Chief Justice and Phani Bhushan Chakravartti was the first permanent Indian Chief Justice of the court. The longest-serving Chief Justice was Justice Sankar Prasad Mitra.

List of Chief Justices

#Chief JusticeTerm12345678910After Indian Independence11121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344
Sir Barnes Peacock1862–1870
Sir Richard Couch1870–1875
Sir Richard Garth1875–1886
Sir Romesh Chandra Mitra (acting)title=Supreme Court of Bangladeshurl=https://www.supremecourt.gov.bd/scdoc/#page/36access-date=2025-08-15website=www.supremecourt.gov.bd}}
Sir William Comer Petheram1886–1896
Sir Francis William Maclean1896–1909
Sir Chunder Madhub Ghose (acting)1906
Sir Lawrence Hugh Jenkins1909–1915
Sir Lancelot Sanderson1915–1926
Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee (acting)1920, 1923
Sir George Claus Rankin1926–1934
Sir Harold Derbyshire1934–1946
Sir Arthur Trevor Harries1946–1952
Phani Bhusan Chakravartti1952–1958
Kulada Charan Das Gupta1958–1959
Surajit Chandra Lahiri1959–1961
Himansu Kumar Bose1961–1966
Deep Narayan Sinha1966–1970
Prasanta Bihari Mukharji1970–1972
Sankar Prasad Mitra1972–1979
Amarendra Nath Sen1979–1981
Sambhu Chandra Ghose1981–1983
Samarendra Chandra DebJanuary 1983 – February 1983
Satish Chandra1983–1986
Anil Kumar SenSeptember 1986 – October 1986
Chittatosh Mookerjee1 November 1986 – 1 November 1987
Debi Singh Tewatia1 November 1987 – 1988
Prabodh Dinkarrao Desai1988–1991
Nagendra Prasad Singh4 February 1992 – 14 June 1992
Anandamoy Bhattacharjee1992–1994
Krishna Chandra Agarwal1994–1996
V. N. Khare2 February 1996 – 20 March 1997
Prabha Shankar Mishra1997–1998
Ashok Kumar Mathur22 December 1999 – 6 June 2004
V. S. Sirpurkar20 March 2005 – 11 January 2007
Surinder Singh Nijjar8 March 2007 – 16 November 2009
Mohit Shantilal Shah24 December 2009 – 25 June 2010
Jai Narayan Patel2010 – 4 October 2012
Arun Kumar Mishra14 December 2012 – 6 July 2014
Manjula Chellur5 August 2014 – 21 August 2016
Girish Chandra Gupta21 September 2016 – 30 November 2016
Jyotirmay Bhattacharya1 May 2018 – 24 September 2018
Debasish Kar Gupta30 October 2018 – 31 December 2018
Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan4 April 2019 — 28 April 2021
Prakash Shrivastava11 October 2021 — 30 March 2023
T. S. Sivagnanam11 May 2023 — 15 September 2025
Sujoy Paul16 January 2026 – Incumbent

Judges elevated as Chief Justice

This sections contains list of only those judges elevated as chief justices whose parent high court is Calcutta. This includes those judges who, at the time of appointment as chief justice, may not be serving in Calcutta High Court but this list does not include judges who at the time of appointment as chief justice were serving in Calcutta High Court but does not have Calcutta as their Parent High Court. ;Key

  • Resigned
  • Elevated to Supreme Court
NameImageAppointed as CJ in HC ofDate of appointmentDate of retirementTenureTransferred as CJ to HC ofRef..As JudgeAs Chief JusticeAs Chief JusticeAs Judge
Walter MorganAllahabad{{dts1862format=dmy}}Madras
Lawrence Hugh Jenkins[[File:Lawrence_Hugh_Jenkins.pngalt=90x90px]]BombayCalcuttatitle=Page no.68 - 69url=https://www.wbja.nic.in/wbja_adm/files/The%20High%20Court%20at%20Calcutta%20150%20Years%20-%20An%20Overview.pdf}}
John Stanley[[File:Chief_Justice_Sir_John_Stanley.pngalt=90x90px]]Allahabad{{dts1898format=dmy}}--
George Claus Rankin[[File:Sir_George_Claus_Rankin.jpgalt=90x90px]]Calcutta{{dts1918format=dmy}}{{dts1926format=dmy}}{{dts1934format=dmy}}--
Sarat Kumar Ghosh[[File:Sarath Ghosh in Chicago.jpgalt=90x90px]]Jammu & Kashmir{{dts19299format=dmy}}Rajasthan
Ronald Francis LodgeGauhati{{dts1941format=dmy}}--
Sudhi Ranjan Das**[[File:Justice Sudhi Ranjan Das.jpgalt=90x90px]]**Punjab & Haryana--
Phani Bhusan Chakravartti[[File:Phani_Bhusan_Chakravartti.jpgalt=90x90px]]Calcutta{{dts19454format=dmy}}--
Kulada Charan Das Gupta[[File:Kulada_Charan_Das_Gupta.jpgalt=90x90px]]{{Dts19486format=dmy}}--
Surajit Chandra Lahiri[[File:Surojit_Chandra_Lahiri_CU.jpgalt=90x90px]]--
Prasanta Bihari Mukharji--
S. R. Das GuptaKarnataka--
Himansu Kumar Bose[[File:Himansu_Kumar_Bose.jpgalt=90x90px]]Calcutta--
Deep Narayan Sinha--
Sankar Prasad Mitra--
Amarendra Nath Sen--
Sambhu Chandra Ghose--
Samarendra Chandra Deb--
Anil Kumar Sen--
Chittatosh MookerjeeBombay
Pradyot Kumar BanerjeeRajasthan--
Dipak Kumar SenPatna--
Rabindranath PyneDelhi--
Bimal Chandra BasakPatna--
Ganendra Narayan RayGujarat--
Manoj Kumar MukherjeeAllahabadBombay
Mukul Gopal MukherjeeRajasthan--
Umesh Chandra Banerjee[[File:Umesh Chandra Banerjee, 2006 (cropped).jpgalt=90x90px]]Andhra Pradesh--
Nirendra Krishna MitraAllahabad--
Shyamal Kumar Sen[[File:Shyamal_Kumar_Sen_-_Kolkata_2012-10-03_0511.JPGalt=90x90px]]--
Tarun Chatterjee--
Ajoy Nath RaySikkim
Altamas Kabir[[File:Justice Altamas Kabir.jpgalt=90x90px]]Jharkhand--
Asok Kumar Ganguly[[File:Asok Kumar Ganguly - Kolkata 2015-03-21 6970.JPGalt=90x90px]]OrissaMadras
Barin GhoshJammu & KashmirSikkim then to Uttarakhand
Bhaskar BhattacharyaGujarat--
Pinaki Chandra Ghose[[File:Pinaki Chandra Ghosh.pngalt=90x90px]]Andhra Pradesh--
Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta--
Subhro Kamal MukherjeeKarnataka--
Girish Chandra GuptaCalcutta--
Indira Banerjee[[File:Justice Indira Banerjee.jpgalt=90x90px]]Madras--
Jyotirmay BhattacharyaCalcutta--
Aniruddha Bose[[File:Justice_Aniruddha_Bose.jpgalt=90x90px]]Jharkhand--
Debasish Kar GuptaCalcutta--title=Former Chief Justices of Calcutta High Courturl=https://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/Judges/Former-Chief-Justices}}'''
Biswanath Somadder[[File:Pic_of_justice_Biswanath_Somadder.jpgalt=90x90px]]MeghalayaSikkim
Dipankar Datta[[File:Justice_Dipankar_Datta.jpgalt=90x90px]]Bombay--
Sanjib BanerjeeMadrasMeghalaya
Indra Prasanna MukerjiMeghalaya--
Harish Tandon[[File:Justice_Harish_Tandon.jpg90x90px]]OrissaIncumbent{{ayd2025326duration=on}}{{ayd2010413duration=on}}
Soumen SenMeghalayaIncumbent{{ayd2025108duration=on}}{{ayd2011413duration=on}}

Judges elevated to Supreme Court

This section includes the list of only those judges whose parent high court was Calcutta. This includes those judges who, at the time of elevation to Supreme Court of India, may not be serving in Calcutta High Court but this list does not include judges who at the time of elevation were serving in Calcutta High Court but does not have Calcutta as their Parent High Court. ;Key

  • Resigned
  • Died in office
#Name of the JudgeImageDate of AppointmentDate of RetirementTenureImmediately preceding officeIn Parent High CourtIn Supreme CourtIn High Court(s)In Supreme CourtTotal tenure1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526
Bijan Kumar Mukherjea[[File:Bijan Kumar Mukherjea, 4th Chief Justice of India.jpgalt=90x90px]]Judge of Calcutta HC
Sudhi Ranjan Das[[File:Justice Sudhi Ranjan Das.jpgalt=90x90px]]2nd CJ of Punjab & Haryana HC
Amal Kumar Sarkar[[File:Justice A.K. Sarkar.jpgalt=90x90px]]Judge of Calcutta HC
Kulada Charan Das Gupta[[File:Kulada_Charan_Das_Gupta.jpgalt=90x90px]]{{Dts19486format=dmy}}12th CJ of Calcutta HC
Ranadhir Singh BachawatJudge of Calcutta HC
Gopendra Krishna MitterJudge of Calcutta HC
Ajit Nath Ray[[File:Justice A.N. Ray.jpgalt=90x90px]]Judge of Calcutta HC
Arun Kumar MukherjeaJudge of Calcutta HC
Alak Chandra GuptaJudge of Calcutta HC
Amarendra Nath Sen18th CJ of Calcutta HC
Sabyasachi Mukharji[[File:Justice Sabyasachi Mukherjee.jpgalt=90x90px]]Acting CJ of Calcutta HC
Bankim Chandra RayJudge of Calcutta HC
Murari Mohan DuttJudge of Calcutta HC
Ganendra Narayan Ray11th CJ of Gujarat HC
Manoj Kumar Mukherjee27th CJ of Bombay HC
Suhas C. SenJudge of Calcutta HC
Umesh Chandra Banerjee[[File:Umesh Chandra Banerjee, 2006 (cropped).jpgalt=90x90px]]CJ of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh HC
Ruma Pal[[File:Ruma Pal.jpgalt=90x90px]]Judge of Calcutta HC
Tarun Chatterjee38th CJ of Allahabad HC
Altamas Kabir[[File:Justice Altamas Kabir.jpgalt=90x90px]]3rd CJ of Jharkhand HC
Asok Kumar Ganguly[[File:Asok Kumar Ganguly - Kolkata 2015-03-21 6970.JPGalt=90x90px]]34th CJ of Madras HC
Pinaki Chandra Ghose[[File:Pinaki Chandra Ghosh.pngalt=90x90px]]CJ of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh HC
Indira Banerjee[[File:Justice Indira Banerjee.jpgalt=90x90px]]39th CJ of Madras HC
Aniruddha Bose[[File:Justice_Aniruddha_Bose.jpgalt=90x90px]]12th CJ of Jharkhand HC
Dipankar Datta[[File:Justice_Dipankar_Datta.jpgalt=90x90px]]Incumbent{{ayd20221212duration=on}}{{ayd2006622duration=on}}45th CJ of Bombay HC
Joymalya Bagchi[[File:Justice_Joymalya_Bagchi.jpgalt=90x90px]]Incumbent{{ayd2025317duration=on}}{{ayd2011627duration=on}}Judge of Calcutta HC

Building

The neo-Gothic High Court building was constructed in 1872, ten years after the establishment of the court itself. The design, by then government architect Walter Granville, was loosely modelled on the 13th-century Cloth Hall at Ypres, Belgium. In 1977 another building named High Court Centenary Building or annexed building was inaugurated to reduce the pressure.

Connectivity

Rails

Eden Gardens railway station is the nearest railway station, which is 650 meters away from the court. Esplanade metro station, the nearest rapid rail transit is 1.3 km away.

References

References

  1. (29 October 2022). "Which is the oldest High Court in India?".
  2. "The High Court, Kolkata, by Walter L. B. Granville (1819-1874)".
  3. [https://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/ A Brief History about Calcutta High Court]
  4. "Court's official website".
  5. (5 July 2016). "Cabinet renames high courts in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai".
  6. PTI. (20 July 2016). "Govt. moves Bill to change names of High Courts". The Hindu.
  7. "Orders/notification of establishment of a bench of Calcutta High Court at Jalpaiguri (English/ Hindi) (07.02.2019)".
  8. "Supreme Court of Bangladesh".
  9. "History of the High Court at Allahabad during the Chief Justice".
  10. "Page no.68 - 69".
  11. "Page 4950 {{!}} Issue 27338, 26 July 1901 {{!}} London Gaze...". The Gazette.
  12. "Some English Judges whom I Admired".
  13. "THE EDINBURGH GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 24, 1929.".
  14. "Former Chairmen of RPSC".
  15. "Appointment of S. C. Lahiri as Chief Justice".
  16. "Allegations against P. B. Mukharji".
  17. "Appointment of S. R. Das Gupta as Chief Justice".
  18. "Appointment of H. K. Bose as Chief Justice".
  19. "Appointment of D. N. Sinha as Permanent Chief Justice".
  20. "Appointment of S. P. Mitra".
  21. "Appointment of S. C. Ghose".
  22. Court, India Supreme. (1979). "Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on ...". Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Department of Justice, Government of India..
  23. "Official Website of High Court of Bombay".
  24. "Indian Statistical Institute vs State Of West Bengal And Ors. on 11 April, 1974".
  25. Court, India Supreme. (1988). "Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on ...". Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Department of Justice, Government of India..
  26. "Justice Rabindranath Pyne {{!}} Welcome To Delhi High Court".
  27. Court, India Supreme. (1988). "Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on ...". Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Department of Justice, Government of India..
  28. Court, India Supreme. (1988). "Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on ...". Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Department of Justice, Government of India..
  29. Court, India Supreme. (1988). "Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on ...". Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Department of Justice, Government of India..
  30. "Appointment of S. K. Sen (pg. no. 97)".
  31. "Former Chief Justices of Calcutta High Court".
  32. Court, Calcutta High. "Calcutta High Court - Judges".
  33. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. "CITY SESSIONS COURT, CALCUTTA".
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