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High Court, subordinate courts and Advocate General of Rajasthan

The State's judiciary and its law officer: the High Court at Jodhpur with its Jaipur Bench, the courts below it, and the Advocate General.

⏱ 5 min read✓ Facts checked 23 October 2026

Contents

At a glance

  1. The Rajasthan High Court was inaugurated at Jodhpur, its principal seat, on 29 August 1949; it also has a Bench at Jaipur.
  2. First Chief Justice: Kamal Kant Verma (K.K. Verma), 29 August 1949 to 24 January 1950.
  3. Appointed by the President: High Court Judges (Article 217) · by the Governor: district judges (Article 233) and the Advocate General (Article 165).

The three parts at a glance

PartArticles
Rajasthan High CourtArticles 214–231 (Part VI, Chapter V)
Subordinate courtsArticles 233–237 (Part VI, Chapter VI)
Advocate GeneralArticle 165

Rajasthan High Court

Sanctioned strength (1 October 2026)50 Judges: 38 permanent, 12 additional
Chief Justice (as of 23 October 2026)Sanjay K. Agrawal, since 7 September 2026

A committee's report of 27 March 1949 advised Jaipur as the capital of the new State and Jodhpur as the seat of the High Court. The Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949 then replaced the five High Courts working at Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Alwar with one High Court for the State. Rajpramukh Maharaja Sawai Man Singh presided at the inauguration, where the Chief Justice and 11 other judges took the oath.

Seat and Jaipur Bench: the years

YearWhat happened
1949Besides Jodhpur, the High Court also sat at Jaipur and Udaipur; from 3 September 1949 also at Bikaner and Kota, for cases pending there only
1950Sittings at Bikaner, Kota and Udaipur ended from 22 May 1950; the Jaipur bench continued
1956States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (section 49) set up a new High Court of Rajasthan; the President declared Jodhpur its principal seat from 1 November 1956, and a temporary bench at Jaipur was set up the same day
1958Jaipur bench abolished, on a committee's report of 26 February 1958 that recommended keeping the principal seat at Jodhpur and the capital at Jaipur
1976–77President's Order of 8 December 1976 set up a permanent Bench at Jaipur; re-established with effect from 31 January 1977

What the Constitution says about High Courts

ArticleProvision
214A High Court for each State
215Court of record, with power to punish for contempt of itself
216A Chief Justice and such other Judges as the President deems necessary
217(1)Before appointing a Judge the President consults the Chief Justice of India, the Governor and (for a Judge other than the Chief Justice) the Chief Justice of the High Court
217(1), 224(3)A Judge holds office until 62 years of age
217(2)Qualification: citizen of India; 10 years a judicial office or 10 years an advocate of a High Court
217(3)Question of a Judge's age is decided by the President after consulting the Chief Justice of India; his decision is final
219Oath before the Governor or a person he appoints
224Additional Judges for up to two years; acting Judges
226Writs: habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, for Part III rights and any other purpose
227Superintendence over all courts and tribunals in its territory, except those under Armed Forces laws (clause 4)
229Chief Justice appoints officers and servants; administrative expenses charged on the State's Consolidated Fund

The 99th Amendment (2014) wrote the National Judicial Appointments Commission into Articles 217, 222, 224, 224A and 231; the Supreme Court struck it down on 16 October 2015, so the earlier consultation wording given above applies.

Subordinate courts

  • Article 233: district judges are appointed, posted and promoted in consultation with the High Court; a person not already in service must have been an advocate or pleader for at least seven years and be recommended by the High Court.
  • Article 234: other judicial service posts are filled by the Governor under rules made after consulting the State Public Service Commission and the High Court.
  • Article 235: control over district courts and courts below them is vested in the High Court.
  • Article 236: "district judge" includes, among others, additional district judges, sessions, additional sessions and assistant sessions judges and judges of a city civil court.
  • Article 237: the Governor may apply the chapter to classes of magistrates.

On 31 December 2022 the State judiciary had 36 judgeships (Jaipur Metro-I, Jaipur Metro-II and Jodhpur Metropolitan among them), with courts in three cadres: District Judge, Senior Civil Judge and Civil Judge. Of the 36, 19 came under the principal seat at Jodhpur and 17 under the Jaipur Bench.

Advocate General

  • Article 165: the Advocate General must be qualified to be appointed a High Court Judge.
  • Duty: to advise the State Government on legal matters and do other legal duties referred by the Governor.
  • Holds office during the pleasure of the Governor; remuneration is as the Governor determines.
  • Article 177: the Advocate General may speak and take part in the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and of any of its committees of which he is named a member, but cannot vote.

Legal services and the Judicial Academy

Lok Adalats (National, Permanent and Monthly) and mediation are the alternative dispute resolution channels run by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority. The Rajasthan State Judicial Academy is at Jodhpur; its first form, the School of Judicial Administration and Rajasthan Judicial Academy, was set up by order of Chief Justice A. R. Laxmanan dated 16 November 2001.

Remember: often mixed up

  • SeatJodhpur, principal seat · Jaipur, the Bench, which also hears cases from Ajmer and Kota districts.
  • Retirement ageHigh Court Judge, 62 · Supreme Court Judge, 65.
  • Law officersAdvocate General, Article 165, for the State · Attorney-General for India, Article 76, for the Union.

Test yourself: asked in exams

CET Graduation Level 2024 · Q123

Where is the principal seat of Rajasthan High Court located?

  1. (1)Barmer
  2. (2)Ajmer
  3. (3)Kota
  4. (4)Jodhpur
Show answer

✓ (4) Jodhpur

See the full paper

RAS Prelims 2023 · Q28

According to Article 217(1) of the Constitution, a Judge other than the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court is appointed by the President after consultation with –

  1. (1)Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court, Attorney General of India and Governor of Rajasthan.
  2. (2)Governor of Rajasthan, Chief Justice of India and Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.
  3. (3)Union Law and Justice Minister and Governor of Rajasthan.
  4. (4)Chief Justice of India and Governor of Rajasthan.
Show answer

✓ (2) Governor of Rajasthan, Chief Justice of India and Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.

See the full paper

Protection Officer 2022 · Q18

If any question arises as to the age of a judge of the High Court in India, who decides it ?

  1. (1)By the Governor in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
  2. (2)By the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
  3. (3)By the Chief Justice of India in consultation with the President.
  4. (4)By the Chief Justice of India in consultation with the Governor.
Show answer

✓ (2) By the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.

See the full paper

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