Madras High Court

The Madras High Court is an Indian High Court with appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It also exercises original jurisdiction over the city of Chennai and has the power to issue writs under the Constitution of India. It is located in Chennai and has an additional bench at Madurai.

The Madras High Court was one of the three charter High Courts established by the Letters Patent granted by the British Crown on 26 June 1862, and replaced the Supreme Court of Madras, which had exercised jurisdiction over the city since 1817. It is one of the oldest High Courts in India. After Indian independence, the High Court was recognised as an appellate authority under the Constitution of India, adopted on 26 January 1950.

From 1862 to 1892, the High Court functioned in a makeshift building. The primary court complex in Chennai was officially inaugurated on 12 July 1892 and is one of the largest in the world. The Madurai Bench was established on 24 July 2004 and functions from a dedicated court complex in Madurai. The court has a sanctioned strength of 75 judges, including the Chief Justice.