High Courts to be courts of record
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 215 (High Courts to be courts of record): Governs State High Courts, judicial independence, and writ/supervisory jurisdiction under Part VI.
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 215 ('High Courts to be courts of record') in Part VI, Chapter V governs the High Courts in the States. It regulates the constitution of High Courts, appointment and tenure security of High Court Judges, Court of Record powers (Art 215), writ jurisdiction to enforce Fundamental and legal rights (Art 226), or supervisory control over all district/subordinate courts within the State (Art 227). Specifically: Every High Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court including the power to punish for contempt of itself.
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 215): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'High Courts to be courts of record' under Part VI
Sets a direct, self-contained constitutional command binding on public authorities across India
Backed by independent judicial oversight of the High Courts to protect constitutional legality
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
High Court judicial independence is part of the inviolable Basic Structure of the Constitution (L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India, 1997).
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Provides every citizen with an independent constitutional court within their own State to challenge unlawful police or administrative actions.
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