Indian Polity Quiz: Supreme Court and High Courts

When the Supreme Court began in 1950, Article 124(1) provided for a Chief Justice of India and not more than seven other judges, eight in all, "until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number".

Article 124(2) says a judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office until he or she attains the age of 65 years.

Under Article 124(4), a judge of the Supreme Court can be removed by an order of the President only after each House of Parliament, in the same session, presents an address supported by a majority of its total membership and by two-thirds of the members present and voting, on the…

Under Article 131, the Supreme Court alone can hear, as a court of first instance, disputes between the Government of India and one or more States, between the Government of India and a State on one side and other States on the other, or between two or more States.

It declares that the Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court, including the power to punish for contempt of itself.

It gives the Supreme Court the power to review any judgment it has pronounced or any order it has made, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament and the rules made by the Court under Article 145.

Article 141 says the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within the territory of India.

It allows the Supreme Court, in exercising its jurisdiction, to pass any decree or make any order necessary for doing "complete justice" in any case or matter pending before it.

Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania, who had been the last Chief Justice of the Federal Court, became the first Chief Justice of India when the Supreme Court began on 26 January 1950, and presided over its inauguration on 28 January.

Justice M. Fathima Beevi, from Kerala, became the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India in 1989, nearly forty years after the Court was set up.

It was established on 1 July 1862 under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861, which makes it the oldest High Court in India.

Under Article 217(1), every judge of a High Court is appointed by the President by warrant under his or her hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State and, for any judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of that…

Under Article 217(1), a judge of a High Court holds office until he or she attains the age of 62 years.

It empowers every High Court to issue directions, orders or writs, including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, to any person or authority within its territory, for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights "and for any other purpose".

The Punjab and Haryana High Court sits at Chandigarh and serves the States of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.