Report No. 14
19. High Court.-
The work done in the HIgh Court, since it came into existence in 1948, is shown in the following statement:
Statement Showing The Institution and Disposal of Proceeding in The Court of Orissa During The Year 1948-1956
1948 |
1949 |
1950 |
1951 |
1952 |
1953 |
1954 |
1955 |
1956 |
||
No. of Judges |
.. |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
First Appeals against decrees |
I |
62 |
108 |
74 |
89 |
78 |
59 |
31 |
49 |
68 |
D |
33 |
55 |
55 |
41 |
31 |
62 |
81 |
69 |
34 |
|
P |
168 |
221 |
240 |
288 |
335 |
313 |
263 |
243 |
277 |
|
Second Appeals against decrees |
I |
568 |
536 |
709 |
575 |
474 |
339 |
314 |
296 |
335 |
D |
264 |
551 |
455 |
301 |
204 |
350 |
867 |
901 |
386 |
|
P |
1120 |
1105 |
1359 |
1633 |
1903 |
1892 |
1339 |
734 |
683 |
|
Appeals against orders |
I |
94 |
93 |
75 |
114 |
84 |
86 |
78 |
87 |
103 |
D |
70 |
72 |
60 |
114 |
109 |
99 |
132 |
80 |
60 |
|
P |
150 |
171 |
186 |
186 |
161 |
148 |
94 |
103 |
146 |
|
Letters Patent Appeals |
I |
4 |
6 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
D |
.. |
3 |
.. |
2 |
8 |
9 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
|
P |
4 |
7 |
17 |
16 |
10 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
|
Civil Revisions (Including Small Cause Revisions). |
I |
288 |
370 |
317 |
295 |
255 |
215 |
213 |
268 |
284 |
D |
178 |
318 |
340 |
248 |
322 |
291 |
254 |
229 |
216 |
|
P |
233 |
285 |
262 |
309 |
242 |
166 |
125 |
164 |
232 |
|
Criminal Appeals |
I |
92 |
121 |
106 |
113 |
N.A. |
132 |
208 |
174 |
205 |
D |
66 |
128 |
80 |
81 |
N.A. |
143 |
106 |
114 |
168 |
|
P |
41 |
34 |
60 |
92 |
101 |
90 |
192 |
252 |
289 |
|
Criminal Revisions |
I |
406 |
690 |
670 |
742 |
N.A. |
480 |
424 |
361 |
283 |
D |
361 |
711 |
617 |
643 |
N.A. |
647 |
448 |
334 |
280 |
|
P |
198 |
177 |
230 |
329 |
283 |
116 |
92 |
119 |
122 |
|
Writs |
I |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
71 |
100 |
406 |
400 |
472 |
D |
.. |
.... |
.. |
.. |
81 |
92 |
100 |
173 |
582 |
|
P |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
53 |
61 |
367 |
594 |
484 |
Note.- I=Institution-also include matters restored and otherwise received.
D = Disposal.
P = Pendency at the end of the year
N.A. = Not available.
20. This statement reveals, that the work of the High Court is very much in arrears. A large number of first appeals, second appeals, criminal appeals and writ matters are pending. On the basis of the average disposals for the last six years, 1951 to 1956, it may take the court over 5 years to dispose of the first appeals and about 21/2 years to dispose of the second appeals, criminal appeals and writ matters pending at the end of 1956. The average duration of a contested first appeal in 1955 was 1518 days i.e. 4.3 years and of contested second appeals was 1088 i.e. about 3 years. Even the criminal work in the High Court is somewhat in arrears. The following statement shows that there is great need for improvement in the state of the file of the High Court.