High Court's control over subordinate courts
Also called: Article 235 · Topic: Justice Delivery: Subordinate Courts, Tribunals, Legal Aid and Judicial Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Under Article 235, each High Court controls the district courts and all the courts below them in its state. This control covers the posting, promotion, leave and discipline of judicial officers. It keeps lower-court judges under the judiciary rather than the state government, which protects their independence. Most citizens deal with these lower courts, so this control shapes everyday justice.
Example
A civil judge is moved from one district to another, or faces an inquiry for misconduct. The High Court decides both matters, not the state's law department.
Don't confuse with
- High Court's power of superintendence (Article 227): this lets the High Court supervise how all courts and tribunals in its area work. Article 235 is about managing the careers and discipline of the judges in subordinate courts.
Related concepts
- Subordinate courts
- District judge
- Sessions court
- Judicial magistrate
- Executive magistrate
- High Court's power of superintendence