Formation Punjab and Haryana High Court was formerly known as
Lahore High Court, which was established on 21 March 1919. The jurisdiction of that court covered
undivided Punjab and
Delhi. From 1920 to 1943, the Court was conferred with
extraterritorial jurisdiction over that part of China that formed part of the British consular district of
Kashgar, which had previously been under the jurisdiction of the
British Supreme Court for China. This ceased upon the ratification of the
British-Chinese Treaty for the Relinquishment of Extra-Territorial Rights in China.
Independence-induced split Following the
independence of India and its
Partition at midnight on 14–15 August 1947, a separate
High Court of East Punjab was created by the Governor General's
High Courts (Punjab) Order, 1947 issued under Section 9 of the
Indian Independence Act, 1947, based at historic
Peterhoff building in
Shimla for the territories as included in the then Province of East Punjab and the then Province of Delhi. This had jurisdiction over the erstwhile territories of
Patiala and East Punjab States Union and the
East Punjab Province, which now covers areas of
Indian Punjab,
Delhi,
Himachal Pradesh and
Haryana. It was at Peterhoff where
the trial of
Nathuram Godse, who assassinated
Mahatma Gandhi, took place in 1948–49. On introduction of the Constitution of India on 26 January 1950, the State of East Punjab came to be known as the Punjab and accordingly, the name of the High Court was also changed as
High Court of Punjab. Simultaneously, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), which was created by uniting eight princely states on 15 July 1948, was also made a Part 'B' State with a separate
High Court of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). As per Article 214(2) of the Constitution of India, the High Court was to be continued along with other High Courts. From 17 January 1955, the Court was moved to its present location in Chandigarh. By
States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was merged in the State of Punjab on 1 November 1956. The Judges of the High Court of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) became Judges of the Punjab High Court. The strength of
High Court of Punjab, which had originally 8 Judges, rose to 13.
Renaming and reduction of jurisdiction The
Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 paved the way for the formation of Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 1 November 1966. Those formations also saw the renaming of the High Court of Punjab as the
High Court of Punjab and Haryana. The Judges of the
High Court of Punjab became Judges of the common High Court with all the powers and jurisdiction of the High Court of Punjab. However, the principal seat of the High Court remained at Chandigarh. The High Court of Punjab and Haryana has operated since 1 November 1966 in its present form. Three Judges of the Punjab High Court were transferred to the
Delhi High Court, which includes a famous Judge-
Hans Raj Khanna. Following area of
State of Punjab namely
Shimla,
Kangra,
Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti Districts; Nalagarh tehsil of Ambala District; Lohara, Amb and Una kanungo circles, some area of Santokhgarh kanungo circle and some other specified area of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District besides some parts of Dhar Kalan Kanungo circle of Pathankot tehsil of Gurdaspur District; were merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 November 1966 as per Section 5 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and thus the jurisdiction of the High Court was reduced. On 30 April 2022, at a joint meeting of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, Punjab and Haryana proposed the establishment of separate high courts for each state. Chief Minister of Haryana
Manohar Lal Khattar proposed a High Court of Haryana in Chandigarh, and Chief Minister of Punjab
Bhagwant Mann proposed a High Court of Punjab in
New Chandigarh. The
Haryana Legislative Assembly had issued resolutions for a separate high court in 2002, 2005, and 2017. ==Chandigarh court building architecture==