Question map
Which one of the following High Courts has the Territorial Jurisdiction over Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
Explanation
The Calcutta High Court has territorial jurisdiction over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Parliament, by the Calcutta High Court (Extension of Jurisdiction) Act, 1953, extended the jurisdiction of the High Court at Calcutta to Chandernagore and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with effect from 2 May 1950, expressly deeming that High Court to be the High Court for those Islands [1]. The Calcutta High Court’s official description also states it has jurisdiction over West Bengal and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and notes a Circuit Bench in Port Blair for effective exercise of that jurisdiction [2]. The constitutional framework allows Parliament to extend a High Court’s jurisdiction to Union Territories, which underlies this statutory extension [3]. Hence option 2 (Calcutta) is correct.
Sources
- [1] https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2178/3/A1953-41.pdf
- [2] https://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/page/About-High-Court
- [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 34: High Court > 34 ~ CHAPliER > p. 353