Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court
| Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court | |
|---|---|
 New building of the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court | |
| Established | 1 December 1972 |
| Jurisdiction | Nagaland |
| Location | Kohima, Nagaland |
| Authorised by | Constitution of India |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of India |
| Website | kohimahighcourt.gov.in |
The Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court is a permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court exercising jurisdiction over the state of Nagaland. It is located at Kohima, the capital of Nagaland.[1]
The bench was inaugurated as a Circuit Bench on 1 December 1972. It was subsequently declared a Permanent Bench by Notification No. GSR 73(E), dated 7 February 1990, issued under section 31(2) of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. The Permanent Bench was inaugurated on 10 February 1990 by Justice Subyasachi Mukherji, the then Chief Justice of India.[1][2]
The Kohima Bench forms part of the Gauhati High Court, whose principal seat is at Guwahati. The Gauhati High Court exercises jurisdiction over Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.[3]
History
Background
Nagaland became a state of India on 1 December 1963. The High Court exercising jurisdiction over the region was subsequently known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland.[4]
The north-eastern region of India was reorganised under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. The Act provided for the reorganisation of the existing State of Assam and for the establishment of the states of Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya, as well as the Union territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.[5]
The act came into force on 21 January 1972. Section 28 provided for a common High Court for Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura, while section 31 dealt with the principal seat and other places of sitting of the common High Court.[5]
Section 31(2) authorised the president of India, by notified order, to establish a permanent bench or benches of the common High Court at places other than its principal seat. Before issuing such an order, the president was required to consult the Chief Justice of the common High Court and the governor of the state in which the proposed bench was to be established.[6]
Circuit Bench
The Kohima Bench was inaugurated as a Circuit Bench on 1 December 1972. The inaugural function was attended by the then Chief Minister of Nagaland, Dr. Hokishe Sema, Justice M. C. Pathak, Justice Sarma, the then Advocate General S. K. Ghosh and members of the Bar and legal fraternity.[1]
The establishment of the Circuit Bench brought the proceedings of the High Court closer to the people of Nagaland and provided a judicial presence of the Gauhati High Court within the state.[1]
Permanent Bench
The president of India subsequently exercised the power under section 31(2) of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 to establish a Permanent Bench at Kohima after consultation with the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court and the governor of Nagaland.[2]
The Permanent Bench was established with a strength of two permanent station Judges. It was declared by Notification No. GSR 73(E), dated 7 February 1990.[2]
The Permanent Bench was inaugurated on 10 February 1990 by Justice Subyasachi Mukherji, the then Chief Justice of India.[1]
The conversion of the Circuit Bench into a Permanent Bench provided Nagaland with a continuing High Court presence and strengthened access to the Gauhati High Court within the state.
Location
The Kohima Bench is located at Old Minister's Hill, Kohima, Nagaland – 797001.[7]
The bench is situated in Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland.
New High Court building
The foundation stone for a new High Court of Nagaland building was laid on 21 May 2007 at Meriema on the outskirts of Kohima. The foundation stone was laid by Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, then Chief Justice of India, in the presence of Dr. H. R. Bhardwaj, then Union Minister of Law and Justice, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Justice H. K. Sema of the Supreme Court of India and Justice Jasti Chelameswar, then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.[1]
Jurisdiction
The Kohima Bench exercises the jurisdiction of the Gauhati High Court in relation to the state of Nagaland.[3]
The Gauhati High Court currently serves the states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Its principal seat is at Guwahati, with permanent outlying benches at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar.[4]
The statutory framework for places of sitting of the common High Court was originally provided by section 31 of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.[6]
Judges
Judges serving at the Kohima Bench are judges of the Gauhati High Court. The official Kohima Bench website maintains a chronological list of former portfolio judges who served at the bench.[8]
Among the judges recorded by the Kohima Bench are Justice W. A. Shishak, Justice H. K. Sema, Justice Beryl Lamare, Justice I. A. Ansari, Justice Zelre Angami and Justice M. B. K. Singh.[8]
The Gauhati High Court's official records also identify judges who have been stationed at the Kohima Bench.[9]
Library
The Judges' Library at the Kohima Bench was established on 1 December 1972, the same date on which the Circuit Bench was inaugurated.[10]
The library provides legal books and reference materials, including resources from national and regional publications. It also provides access to online and offline legal databases. The library is available to judges and advocates, while reading facilities are provided for persons wishing to consult in-house materials during working hours.[10]
Administration
The Kohima Bench functions as part of the Gauhati High Court and is subject to the administrative and judicial control of the High Court.[3]
The bench has its own administrative establishment and staff for the conduct of judicial and court-related functions. Recruitment notices of the Gauhati High Court have included posts specifically for the Kohima Bench.[11]
Advocate General and legal administration
The Kohima Bench's official records maintain historical information concerning the Advocate Generals associated with the state of Nagaland and the functioning of the High Court in the state.[12]
The records include S. K. Ghosh, who served as Advocate General from 1972, around the time of the establishment of the Circuit Bench at Kohima.[12]
Golden Jubilee
The Golden Jubilee of the Kohima Bench was commemorated on 1 December 2022, marking 50 years since the establishment of the Circuit Bench at Kohima in 1972.[1]
The anniversary marked five decades of the Gauhati High Court's presence in Nagaland, beginning with the Circuit Bench in 1972 and followed by the establishment of the Permanent Bench in 1990.
Relationship with the Gauhati High Court
The Kohima Bench is not a separate High Court. It is a permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court and forms part of the same High Court institution.[3]
The principal seat of the Gauhati High Court is located at Guwahati in Assam. The High Court also has permanent benches at Kohima in Nagaland, Aizawl in Mizoram and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.[4]
The arrangement enables the Gauhati High Court to exercise its jurisdiction across the states within its present territorial jurisdiction while providing permanent locations for High Court proceedings outside the principal seat.
Significance
The establishment of the Kohima Circuit Bench in 1972 was an important development in the judicial administration of Nagaland. Its conversion into a Permanent Bench in 1990 further institutionalised the High Court's presence in the state.[1]
The bench provides a High Court forum within Nagaland and reduces the geographical burden on litigants and advocates who would otherwise have to travel to the principal seat at Guwahati.
The Kohima Bench is one of the three permanent outlying benches of the Gauhati High Court, the other two being the Aizawl Bench in Mizoram and the Itanagar Bench in Arunachal Pradesh.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History". Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Particulars of Organisation, Functions and Duties" (PDF). Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench". Gauhati High Court. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "History". Gauhati High Court. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971". India Code. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 — Section 31" (PDF). India Code. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench". Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Former Judges of Kohima Bench". Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hon'ble The Chief Justice & Sitting Judges". Gauhati High Court. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Library". Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Recruitment (Principal Seat & Benches)". Gauhati High Court. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Advocate Generals". Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. Retrieved 23 August 2026.