Aizawl Bench of Gauhati High Court
| Aizawl Bench of the Gauhati High Court | |
|---|---|
 New building of the Aizawl Bench of the Gauhati High Court | |
| Established | 5 July 1990 |
| Jurisdiction | Mizoram |
| Location | Aizawl, Mizoram |
| Authorised by | Constitution of India |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of India |
| Website | ghcazlbench.nic.in |
The Aizawl Bench of the Gauhati High Court is a permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court exercising jurisdiction over the state of Mizoram. It is located in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.[1]
The bench was established as a Permanent Bench on 5 July 1990 following the enactment of the State of Mizoram Act, 1986. It was inaugurated by the then Chief Justice of India, Justice Sabyasachi Mukherjee, in the presence of the Governor of Mizoram, Swaraj Kaushal, the Chief Minister, Lal Thanhawla, and the then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Anisetti Raghuvir.[1]
The Aizawl Bench forms part of the Gauhati High Court, whose principal seat is at Guwahati, Assam. The Gauhati High Court currently has jurisdiction over Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, with permanent outlying benches at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar.[2]
History
Background
Mizoram was a Union territory of India before attaining statehood. The State of Mizoram Act, 1986, provided for the establishment of Mizoram as a state and made provisions concerning the High Court exercising jurisdiction over the state.[3]
The act provided for a common High Court for Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram. It also made provision for the principal seat and other places of sitting of the common High Court.[3]
Section 21(2) of the act empowered the president of India, by notified order, to establish a permanent bench or benches of the common High Court at one or more places within its territorial jurisdiction other than the principal seat. The president was required to consult the chief justice of the common High Court and the governor of the state concerned before establishing such a bench.[4]
Establishment of the Permanent Bench
In exercise of the powers under section 21(2) of the State of Mizoram Act, 1986, the Gauhati High Court (Establishment of a Permanent Bench at Aizawl) Order, 1990 was issued for the establishment of a Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court at Aizawl.[5]
The order provided for not less than two judges of the Gauhati High Court to sit at Aizawl. The judges were to exercise the jurisdiction and powers of the High Court in respect of cases arising in Mizoram, subject to the provisions of the order and directions issued by the Chief Justice.[5]
The Permanent Bench was established with effect from 5 July 1990.[5]
Inauguration
The Aizawl Bench was formally inaugurated on 5 July 1990 by the then Chief Justice of India, Justice S. B. Mukherjee.[1]
The inauguration was attended by the then Governor of Mizoram, Swaraj Kaushal, the then Chief Minister, Lal Thanhawla, and the then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice A. Raghuvir.[1]
The establishment of the Permanent Bench gave Mizoram a permanent presence of the Gauhati High Court within the state.
Location
The Aizawl Bench is located in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. Its postal address is MINECO, Khatla, Aizawl, Mizoram – 796001.[6]
The bench's judicial and administrative facilities are situated within the New Capital Complex area of Aizawl.[7]
New building
A new building for the Aizawl Bench was constructed at the New Capital Complex in Khatla, Aizawl. The building forms the principal modern judicial complex of the Aizawl Bench.[7]
The foundation stone of the new High Court building was laid on 4 March 2017 by Justice Ajit Singh, then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, in the presence of Lal Thanhawla, the then Chief Minister of Mizoram.[7]
The new building was inaugurated on 2 September 2023 by Dr Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, the then Chief Justice of India.[7]
The inauguration of the new building marked a major expansion and modernisation of the judicial infrastructure of the Gauhati High Court in Mizoram.[7]
Jurisdiction
The Aizawl Bench exercises the jurisdiction of the Gauhati High Court in respect of cases arising in the state of Mizoram.[5]
The Gauhati High Court currently exercises jurisdiction over Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Its principal seat is at Guwahati, while permanent outlying benches are located at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar.[2]
The Aizawl Bench is not a separate High Court. It is a permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court.[1]
Judges
Judges serving at the Aizawl Bench are judges of the Gauhati High Court. The Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court may nominate judges to sit at the Aizawl Bench in accordance with the law and the orders governing the constitution of the bench.[5]
The official website of the Aizawl Bench publishes notifications concerning the constitution of benches and the judges sitting at Aizawl.[8]
The bench constitution may vary periodically according to administrative orders of the Gauhati High Court.[8]
Administration
The Aizawl Bench functions under the administrative and judicial control of the Gauhati High Court.[6]
The Registry of the Aizawl Bench performs administrative and court-related functions, including case filing, record management and other services required for the functioning of the High Court at Aizawl.[9]
The official website of the bench is maintained by the Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench, with technical support from the National Informatics Centre, Mizoram State Centre.[6]
Court services
The Aizawl Bench provides online access to a number of court services. These include case-status searches, judgments and orders, cause lists, e-filing resources and other electronic court services.[6]
The official case-status system allows users to search judgments and orders by case number, judge, party name, order date and neutral citation.[10]
The website also provides access to judgments and orders arranged by date and other categories.[11]
Judges' Library
The Judges' Library of the Aizawl Bench was established in 1990. It provides legal literature and reference material for judges and advocates.[12]
The collection includes law reports, legal commentaries, bare Acts, journals, reference books, encyclopaedias, Mizoram Gazettes, newspapers and legal databases.[12]
The library also maintains legal materials relating to central and state legislation applicable to the jurisdiction of the bench.[13]
Legal services
The Aizawl Bench has a High Court Legal Services Committee for facilitating access to legal services and legal aid for eligible persons.[14]
The committee forms part of the legal services framework associated with the Gauhati High Court and works to facilitate access to justice for persons eligible for legal assistance.[14]
Superintendence over subordinate courts
Following the separation of the judiciary in Mizoram in 2008, the Gauhati High Court exercises superintendence over the subordinate courts and tribunals in the state through its Aizawl Bench.[15]
The judicial administration of Mizoram includes judicial districts and subordinate courts functioning under the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court.[15]
The official Aizawl Bench website lists the judicial districts and district courts functioning in Mizoram, including Aizawl, Lunglei, Champhai, Mamit, Serchhip, Siaha, Kolasib and Lawngtlai.[16]
Technology and digital services
The Aizawl Bench has adopted electronic court services as part of the wider eCourts programme. Its official website provides facilities for case information, electronic filing resources, judgments and orders and other digital court services.[6]
The bench also provides video-conferencing and live-streaming facilities for court proceedings as notified by the High Court.[6]
The official website provides a dedicated section for live-streaming and video-conferencing links for courts constituted at the Aizawl Bench.[6]
Significance
The establishment of the Aizawl Bench in 1990 brought the jurisdiction of the Gauhati High Court permanently closer to the people of Mizoram.[1]
The Permanent Bench has enabled High Court proceedings concerning Mizoram to be conducted within the state, subject to the statutory framework and the orders governing its jurisdiction.[5]
The construction and inauguration of the new High Court building in 2023 further strengthened the judicial infrastructure available to the Gauhati High Court in Mizoram.[7]
The Aizawl Bench is one of the three permanent outlying benches of the Gauhati High Court. The other two are the Kohima Bench in Nagaland and the Itanagar Bench in Arunachal Pradesh.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About Us". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "History". Gauhati High Court. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The State of Mizoram Act, 1986" (PDF). India Code. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "The State of Mizoram Act, 1986 — Section 21" (PDF). India Code. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gauhati High Court (Establishment of a Permanent Bench at Aizawl) Order, 1990". Indian Kanoon. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Aizawl Bench Photo Gallery". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "General Notices". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Registry". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Judgment and Order". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Judgments". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Judges' Library". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Library Collection". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "High Court Legal Services Committee". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "About Us". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "District Courts". Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.