Organisation : Bombay High Court Maharashtra
Facility : File Case Online
Home Page :http://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/
Login here :https://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/index.php
About Us :
The remote ancestry of the High Court, though interesting is not quite inspiring, until we come to the Recorder’s Court established under the Charter of 1798. Confining ourselves to the British period- for there is no conceivable connection between our High Court today and such Courts of law as existed in the Portuguese, and still earlier Muslim eras- the judicial history of Bombay commences with the Charter of 1668 accompanying the transfer of Bombay from the Crown to the East India Company. In 1670, the administration of Justice was in the hands of Justices who held their sittings in the Custom Houses of Bombay and Mahim. The system of 1670 was very elementary and suffered from several drawbacks and the judicial system was too much identified with the executive government of the Island.
The main architect of the Judicial system during this period was Gerald Aungier, the Governor of Surat Factory. He has been described as the “true founder” of Bombay. He was a man with liberal ideas and believed in a impartial administration of justice without fear or favor. But he was conscious of these defects and he was himself dissatisfied with the judicial machinery. Aungier was advised by the Company to select someone knowing something of law from amongst the Company’s servants in India. Aungier chose George Wilcox as the Judge and the First British Court of Justice was inaugurated in Bombay in 1672 with due pomp and ceremony. Fawcett quotes a detailed description of the opening ceremony on 8th August 1672.
There was a ceremonial procession from the Fort through the Bazaar to the Guildhall (court-house) in the following order :
** Fifty Bandaries in Green liveries marching two by two.
** Centues (Hindus) 20 Mooremen (Muslims) 20 Christians each representing their several caste or sect marching two by two.
** His Honour’s horse of State led by an Englishman.
** Two trumpets and Kettledrums on horse back.