Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court is the highest court of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and sits at Shimla, the state capital. Its roots lie in the Court of the Judicial Commissioner, created under the Himachal Pradesh (Courts) Order of 1948 and housed in the Bharari area of Shimla, which was vested with the powers of a high court. From 1967 a Himachal Bench of the Delhi High Court replaced that court. When Parliament passed the State of Himachal Pradesh Act in 1970 and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971, it established its own High Court at Shimla, first with one chief justice and two judges. Today the court may have up to 17 judges, of whom 13 are permanent and four additional, and it currently has 13 judges. Its authority derives from the Constitution of India, and its judges must retire at the age of 62.