District Court Ambala

ABOUT DISTRICT COURT

According to Punjab Administration Report (1911-12), District Ambala was formed out of the lapsed and confiscated territories of ‘North-West Frontier’ in 1846 by the British representatives at Delhi. The District was placed in charge of Deputy Commissioner. He was given subordinate civil, criminal and fiscal powers. The Commissioner was superintendent of revenue & police and exercised the Civil appellate and the criminal original powers of a Sessions Judge. In 1853 first Chief Commissioner was appointed as the head of the local executive administration. A Judicial and a Financial Commissioner, who were the chief authorities in the judicial and revenue departments respectively, were appointed subordinate to him. The Judicial Commissioner was also head of the Police. He supervised educational operations and superintended the control of local and municipal funds. In 1866 a Chief Court consisting of two Judges, a Civilian and a Barrister, was substituted for the Judicial Commissioner and was constituted the final appellate authority in civil and criminal cases , with powers also of original criminal jurisdiction in cases where European British subjects were charged with serious offences and of original civil jurisdiction in special cases. In the year 1869, a third Judge, a Civilian, was added to[...]