The Patna High Court of Judicature at Patna (commonly known as Patna High Court) is the High Court of the state of Bihar, India. It was established on 3 February 1916 by the British colonial government and was later affiliated under the Government of India Act 1915, making it one of the oldest High Courts of India.
| Patna High Court | |
|---|---|
| पटना उच्च न्यायालय | |
Emblem of the Patna High Court | |
Interactive map of Patna High Court | |
| 25°36′32″N 85°7′32″E / 25.60889°N 85.12556°E | |
| Established | 9 February 1916 |
| Jurisdiction | Bihar |
| Location | Patna, Bihar, India |
| Coordinates | 25°36′32″N 85°7′32″E / 25.60889°N 85.12556°E |
| Composition method | Presidential assent on advice of the Chief Justice of India with consultation of Governor of Bihar |
| Authorised by | Constitution of India |
| Judge term length | mandatory retirement by age of 62 |
| Number of positions | 53 |
| Website | patnahighcourt.gov.in |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Justice Sudhir Singh |
| Since | 23 October 2025 |
The court is based in Patna, the administrative capital of the state of Bihar.
History of the court
A proclamation for setting up the court was issued by the governor-general of India on 22 March 1912. The foundation-stone of the High Court Building was laid on 1 December 1913 by Viceroy and Governor-General of India Sir Charles Hardinge of Penshurst. The Patna High Court building on its completion was formally opened by the same viceroy on 3 February 1916. Official work commenced on 1 March 1916. Sir Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier was the first chief justice of the court.
In 1948, the Patna High Court exercised jurisdiction over the territories of the Province of Bihar & Orissa until 26 July 1948, when a separate high court was constituted for Orissa. The Patna High Court opened a circuit bench at Ranchi in 1972. In 1976, the circuit bench of the Patna High Court at Ranchi became a permanent bench. In November 2000, under the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000, the circuit bench of the Patna High Court at Ranchi became the Jharkhand High Court.
Starting 18 April 2015, the Patna High Court planned a year-long centenary celebration of 100 years of establishment, and the occasion was inaugurated by the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee, and was chaired by the governor of Bihar, Keshari Nath Tripathi; the chief justice of India, H. L. Dattu; and the chief justice of the Patna High Court, L. Narasimha Reddy.
Prominent judges of the Patna High Court
- Hon. Ms. Justice Rekha Doshit was the chief justice of the Patna High Court and the first woman to hold this office.
- Hon. Sir Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier is the first chief justice of the Patna High Court.
- Hon. Pandit Lakshami Kant Jha was the first Indian chief justice of the Patna High Court after independence.
- Hon. Mrs. Justice Indu Prabha Singh, the first lady judge of the Patna High Court, holds the distinction of being the first woman judge to hold court at the Patna High Court and its Ranchi Bench.
- Hon. Mrs. Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, the second lady judge of the Patna High Court, is the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India from Bihar.
- The high court has given two chief justices of India.
- Hon. Mr. Justice Bhuvneshwar Prasad Sinha, the 6th chief justice of India.
- Hon. Mr. Justice Lalit Mohan Sharma, the 24th chief justice of India.
Judges
The following are serving as the judges of the court.
Judges elevated to Supreme Court
Currently serving
| # | Name of the Judge | Image | Date of Appointment as Judge | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Immediately preceding office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As HC Judge | As Supreme Court Judge | Total tenure (including both SC and HC) | |||||||
| 1 | Ahsanuddin Amanullah | 20 June 2011 | 6 February 2023 | 10 May 2028 | 11 years, 230 days | 5 years, 95 days | 16 years, 325 days | Judge of Patna HC | |
Former Judges
| # | Name of the Judge | Image | Date of Appointment as Judge | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Immediately preceding office | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As HC Judge | As Supreme Court Judge | Total tenure (including both SC and HC) | ||||||||
| 1 | Saiyid Fazl Ali | April 1928 | 26 January 1950 | 18 September 1951 | 1 year, 236 days | Elevated to Federal Court of India on 9 June 1947 | ||||
| 2 | Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha | 19 January 1943 | 3 December 1954 | 31 January 1964 | 11 years, 318 days | 9 years, 60 days | 21 years, 13 days | CJ of erstwhile Nagpur HC | 6th Chief Justice of India | |
| 3 | Syed Jaffer Imam | 25 October 1943 | 10 January 1955 | 31 January 1964 | 11 years, 77 days | 9 years, 22 days | 20 years, 99 days | 10th CJ of Patna HC | Resigned from office | |
| 4 | Sudhansu Kumar Das | 4 November 1944 | 30 April 1956 | 2 September 1963 | 11 years, 178 days | 7 years, 126 days | 18 years, 303 days | 11th CJ of Patna HC | ||
| 5 | Vaidyanathier Ramaswami | 28 October 1948 | 4 January 1965 | 30 October 1969 | 16 years, 68 days | 4 years, 300 days | 21 years, 3 days | 12th CJ of Patna HC | ||
| 6 | Nand Lall Untwalia | 2 January 1958 | 3 October 1974 | 31 July 1980 | 16 years, 274 days | 5 years, 303 days | 22 years, 212 days | 16th CJ of Patna HC | ||
| 7 | Lalit Mohan Sharma | 12 April 1973 | 5 October 1987 | 11 February 1993 | 14 years, 176 days | 5 years, 130 days | 19 years, 306 days | Judge of Patna HC | 24th Chief Justice of India | |
| 8 | Nagendra Prasad Singh | 12 April 1973 | 15 June 1992 | 24 December 1996 | 19 years, 65 days | 4 years, 193 days | 23 years, 257 days | 26th CJ of Calcutta HC | ||
| 9 | Biswanath Agrawal | 17 November 1986 | 19 October 2000 | 15 October 2009 | 13 years, 337 days | 8 years, 362 days | 22 years, 333 days | 17th CJ of Orissa HC | ||
| 10 | Bisheshwar Prasad Singh | 9 March 1987 | 14 December 2001 | 8 July 2007 | 14 years, 280 days | 5 years, 207 days | 20 years, 122 days | 32nd CJ of Bombay HC | ||
| 11 | Satyabrata Sinha | 9 March 1987 | 3 October 2002 | 8 August 2009 | 15 years, 208 days | 6 years, 341 days | 22 years, 153 days | 21st CJ of Delhi HC | ||
| 12 | Aftab Alam | 27 July 1990 | 12 November 2007 | 18 April 2013 | 17 years, 108 days | 5 years, 158 days | 22 years, 266 days | Acting CJ of Jammu & Kashmir HC | ||
| 13 | Chandramauli Kumar Prasad | 8 November 1994 | 8 February 2010 | 14 July 2014 | 15 years, 92 days | 4 years, 157 days | 19 years, 249 days | 41st CJ of Allahabad HC | ||
| 14 | Gyan Sudha Misra | 16 March 1994 | 30 April 2010 | 27 April 2014 | 16 years, 45 days | 3 years, 363 days | 20 years, 43 days | 6th CJ of Jharkhand HC | ||
| 15 | Sudhanshu Joshi Mukhopadhaya | 8 November 1994 | 13 September 2011 | 14 March 2015 | 16 years, 309 days | 3 years, 183 days | 20 years, 219 days | 22nd CJ of Gujarat HC | ||
| 16 | Shiva Kirti Singh | 29 December 1998 | 19 September 2013 | 11 November 2016 | 14 years, 264 days | 3 years, 54 days | 17 years, 319 days | 44th CJ of Allahabad HC | ||
| 17 | Navin Sinha | 11 February 2004 | 17 February 2017 | 18 August 2021 | 13 years, 6 days | 4 years, 183 days | 17 years, 189 days | 34th CJ of Rajasthan HC | ||
Former chief justices
The following have served as chief justices of the court.
| Chief justice | From | To | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hon. Vipul Manubhai Pancholi | 21 July 2025 | 28 August 2025 | Transferred from Gujarat High Court. Elevated to Supreme Court of India |
| Hon. Krishnan Vinod Chandran | 27 March 2023 | 15 January 2025 | Transferred from Kerala High Court. Elevated to Supreme Court of India |
| Hon. Sanjay Karol | 11 November 2019 | 5 February 2023 | Transferred from Tripura High Court. Elevated to Supreme Court of India |
| Hon. Amreshwar Pratap Sahi | 17 November 2018 | 10 November 2019 | Transferred from Allahabad High Court. Transferred to Madras High Court as its Chief Justice |
| Hon. Mukesh Shah | 12 August 2018 | 1 November 2018 | Transferred from Gujarat High Court. Elevated to Supreme Court of India |
| Hon. Rajendra Menon | 15 March 2017 | 8 August 2018 | Transferred from Madhya Pradesh High Court. Transferred to Delhi High Court as its Chief Justice |
| Hon. Iqbal Ahmed Ansari | 29 August 2016 | 28 October 2016 | |
| Hon. L. Narasimha Reddy | 2 January 2015 | 31 July 2015 | |
| Hon. Rekha Manharlal Doshit | 21 June 2010 | 13 December 2014 | Transferred from Gujarat High Court |
| Hon. Shri Dipak Misra | 23 December 2009 | 24 June 2010 | Elevated to Supreme Court on 10 October 2011. Took oath as Chief Justice of India on 28 August 2017 |
| Hon. Shri Prafulla Kumar Mishra | 12 August 2009 | 16 September 2009 | |
| Hon. Shri J. B. Koshy | 16 March 2009 | 12 May 2009 | |
| Hon. Shri R.M. Lodha | 13 May 2008 | 16 December 2008 | |
| Hon. Shri Rajesh Balia | 5 January 2008 | 3 March 2008 | |
| Hon. Dr. J.N. Bhatt | 18 July 2005 | 16 October 2007 | |
| Hon. Shri Ravi S. Dhavan | 25 January 2000 | 22 July 2004 | |
| Hon. Shri B.M. Lal | 9 July 1997 | 6 October 1999 | |
| Hon. Shri D.P. Wadhwa | 29 September 1995 | 21 March 1997 | |
| Hon. Shri G.P. Patnaik | 19 May 1995 | 11 September 1995 | |
| Hon. Shri K. Venkataswamy | 19 September 1994 | 6 March 1995 | |
| Hon. Shri K. S. Paripoornan | 24 January 1994 | 11 June 1994 | |
| Hon. Shri Bimal Chandra Basak | 18 March 1991 | 21 October 1994 | |
| Hon. Shri Gangadhar Ganesh Sohani | 24 October 1989 | 17 December 1990 | |
| Hon. Shri Shushil Kumar Jha | 19 October 1989 | 23 October 1989 | |
| Hon. Shri Dipak Kumar Sen | 1 May 1988 | 1 May 1989 | |
| Hon. Shri Bhagwati Prasad Jha | 2 January 1988 | 2 January 1988 | |
| Hon. Shri Surjit Singh Sandhawalia | 29 November 1983 | 27 July 1987 | |
| Hon. Shri Krishna Ballabh Narayan Singh | 19 July 1976 | 12 March 1982 | |
| Hon. Shri Shyam Nandan Prasad Singh | 3 October 1974 | 1 May 1976 | |
| Hon. Shri Nand Lall Untwalia | 29 September 1972 | 3 October 1974 | |
| Hon. Shri Ujjal Narayan Sinha | 5 September 1970 | 29 September 1972 | |
| Hon. Shri Satish Chandra Mishra | 9 November 1968 | 5 September 1970 | |
| Hon. Shri Ramaswamy Lakshmi Narasimhan | 4 January 1965 | 2 August 1968 | |
| Hon. Shri Vaidyanathier Ramaswami | 30 April 1956 | 4 January 1965 | |
| Hon. Shri Sudhansu Kumar Das | 10 January 1955 | 30 April 1956 | |
| Hon. Shri Syed Jafar Imam | 3 September 1953 | 10 January 1955 | |
| Hon. Shri David Ezra Reuben | 1 June 1952 | 2 September 1953 | |
| Hon. Pandit Lakshami Kant Jha | 8 April 1950 | 1 June 1952 | |
| Hon. Sir Herbert Ribton Meredith | 25 January 1950 | 8 April 1950 | |
| Hon. Sir Clifford Monmohan Agarwala | 9 January 1948 | 24 January 1950 | |
| Hon. Sir Syed Fazl Ali | 19 January 1943 | 14 October 1946 | |
| Hon. Sir Arthur Trevor Harries | 10 October 1938 | 19 January 1943 | |
| Hon. Sir Courtney Terrell | 31 March 1928 | 6 May 1938 | |
| Hon. Sir Thomas Fredrick Dawson Miller | 31 October 1917 | 31 March 1928 | |
| Hon. Sir Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier | 1 March 1916 | 30 October 1917 |
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