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Constitutional Position and Structure
- Articles 214 to 231 of Part VI deal with the High Courts of India.
- A High Court occupies the highest position in the judicial administration of a State and functions below the Supreme Court in India's integrated judicial system.
- The Constitution provides for a High Court for each State, but Article 231 permits Parliament to establish a common High Court for two or more States or for two or more States and a Union Territory.
- Under Article 230, Parliament can extend the jurisdiction of a High Court to a Union Territory or exclude a Union Territory from its jurisdiction.
- The institution of High Courts in British India began in 1862 with High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861.
- Allahabad High Court was established in 1866.
- As of 2026, India has 25 High Courts. The Department of Justice's current data also lists 25 High Courts.