The High Court is a constitutional institution and the highest judicial authority at the state level in India, established under Article 214 of the Constitution. Its origin lies in the Indian High Courts Act, 1861, passed by the British Parliament to resolve the conflicting "dual system" of justice in the Presidency towns. This Act abolished the existing Supreme Court and Sadar Adalats, leading to the establishment of the first High Courts in Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay in 1862.
The mechanism of the High Court is governed by Articles 214 to 231 in Part VI of the Constitution. A High Court is a court of record (Article 215) and exercises the power to issue writs like Habeas Corpus or Mandamus for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights and other legal rights (Article 226). It also holds the power of superintendence over all subordinate courts and tribunals within its territorial jurisdiction (Article 227).
The High Court is a crucial link in India's single integrated judicial system, positioned below the Supreme Court of India and above the subordinate courts (like District and Sessions Courts). The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956, authorized Parliament to establish a common High Court for two or more states. Recently, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, reduced the pecuniary jurisdiction of the commercial divisions in High Courts from one crore rupees to three lakh rupees, aiming to expedite commercial dispute resolution. The newest High Courts, for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, were established on January 1, 2019.