Vipul Pancholi Appointed Chief Justice of Patna HC

• 30 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

Justice Vipul M. Pancholi was sworn in as the 45th Chief Justice of the Patna High Court (HC) at the Raj Bhavan in Patna, with Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administering the oath of office. 

• He succeeded Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, who was elevated to the Supreme Court of India. 
• Earlier, Justice Vipul served as an advocate in the Gujarat High Court and as a judge of both the Gujarat High Court and the Patna High Court. 

Key Facts About Patna High Court (HC) 

• Creation: The Patna High Court was established following a proclamation by the Governor-General of India in 1912, which promoted Bihar and Orissa to the status of a separate province.  
• Foundation: The foundation stone of the Patna High Court building was laid on 1st December 1913, by Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.  
  • The first Chief Justice of the Patna High Court was Sir Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier (March 1916- October 1917). 
• Post-Independence: After India became a republic in 1950, the Patna High Court's jurisdiction was extended, allowing it to issue writs under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.  
  • The first Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in independent India was Sir Clifford Monmohan Agarwala (January 1948- January 1950). 

Composition & Appointment of High Court Judges  

• Composition: Each High Court consists of a Chief Justice and other judges as determined by the President.  
  • The President decides the strength of a High Court based on its workload.  
• Appointment of High Court Judges: A High Court (HC) judge is appointed by the President under Article 217 of the Constitution.   
  • The Chief Justice is appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the state concerned.   
  • For the appointment of other judges, the chief justice of the concerned high court is also consulted.    
  • In case of a common high court for two or more states, the governors of all the states concerned are consulted by the President.   
    • The oath to a High Court judge is administered by the governor of that state. 
• Qualifications of Judges: A person to be appointed as a judge of a High Court should have the following qualifications:  
  • He should be a citizen of India.  
  • He should have held a judicial office in the territory of India for ten years, or  
  • He should have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for ten years.  
• Minimum Age: The Constitution does not prescribe a minimum age for appointment as a judge of a High Court.   
• Tenure of Judges: A judge of a High Court can hold office until he attains the age of 62 years.  

High Courts in India 

• Position: The High Court operates below the Supreme Court and above subordinate courts in India's judicial system.  
  • The High Court is the highest judicial body in the state (total 25 High Courts in India).  
• Constitutional Provisions:  
  • High Court for each State: The Constitution of India provides for a High Court for each state (Article 214).  
    • Article 231 provides that the Parliament may by law establish a common High Court for two or more States or for two or more States and a Union Territory.  
  • Jurisdiction: Territorial jurisdiction is co-terminus with the state’s territory (or a common High Court’s jurisdiction is co-terminus with the territories of the concerned states and Union Territories).  
  • Articles 214 to 231: These deal with the organization, independence, jurisdiction, powers, and procedures of High Courts.