The Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

, was founded in 1774 by the Regulating Act of 1773. It replaced the Mayor's Court of Calcutta and was

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

's highest court from 1774 until 1862, when the High Court of Calcutta was established by the Indian High Courts Act 1861. From 1774 to the arrival of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

's Bengal Judicature Act of 1781 in June 1782, the Court claimed jurisdiction over any person residing in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...

. These first years were known for their conflict with the

Supreme Council of Bengal The Supreme Council of Bengal was the highest level of executive government in British India from 1774 until 1833: the period in which the East India Company, a private company, exercised political control of British colonies in India. It was fo ...

over the Court's jurisdiction. The conflict came to an end with Parliament's passing of the Bengal Judicature Act of 1781 which restricted the Supreme Court's jurisdiction to either those who lived in Calcutta, or to any

British Subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...

and

, thereby removing the Court's jurisdiction over any person residing in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The courthouse itself was a two storied building with Ionic columns and an urn-topped balustrade and stood by the side of the Writers’ Buildings. The building also served as the Town Hall of Calcutta at one time. It was demolished in 1792 and replaced by the present building in 1832. ;The Court's first judges were: * Sir Elijah Impey, Chief justice from 1774 to 1783 on his recall to England for impeachment. * Stephen Caesar Le Maistre, Puisne judge from 1774 to 1777 on his death. *

John Hyde (judge) John Hyde (14 January 1738 – 8 July 1796) was a Puisne Judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal from 1774 to his death. He is the primary author of ''Hyde's Notebooks'', a series of 74 notebooks that are a trove of info ...

, Puisne judge from 1774 to 1796 on his death. * Robert Chambers, Puisne judge from 1774 to 1783, Acting Chief Justice from 1783 to 1791. Chief Justice from 1791-1798, on his resignation. *

Sir William Jones Sir William Jones (28 September 1746 – 27 April 1794) was a British philologist, a puisne judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, and a scholar of ancient India. He is particularly known for his proposition of th ...

, Puisne judge from 1783 to 1794 on his death. *

Sir William Dunkin Sir William Dunkin (died 1807) was an Irish barrister and judge in Bengal. Life Dunkin was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1753, as the eldest son of John Dunkin of Bushfoot, County Antrim; Later he was described as from Clogher, County Antrim. ...

, Puisne judge from August 14, 1791 to unknown.

Chief Justices

* ''for Chief Justices after 1862 see High Court of Calcutta''

Puisne Justices

References

{{British dependencies chief justices, state = collapsed

High Courts of India 1774 establishments in the British Empire 1862 disestablishments in Asia 18th century in Kolkata