Courts & procedure
Civil & Criminal Court Hierarchy in India
An educational map of Supreme Court, High Court and subordinate-court layers, with civil and criminal process distinctions and local-variation warnings.
India has a unified judiciary with the Supreme Court at its apex, High Courts at the State or Union Territory level, and subordinate courts beneath them. Civil and criminal court names, powers and local arrangements vary, so this guide explains broad layers rather than determining a forum for a particular dispute.
What this guide covers
- Supreme Court, High Court and subordinate-court overview
- Civil dispute and criminal proceeding court layers
- District, Sessions, civil judge and magistrate orientation
- eCourts and NJDG source-navigation
General process orientation
Identify the kind of matter
A civil dispute, criminal allegation, appeal, writ or statutory proceeding may follow different routes.
Check the current local framework
Court names, territorial jurisdiction, pecuniary limits and local rules can vary; consult the current High Court and eCourts sources.
Use official services
eCourts and NJDG provide public source-navigation for case status, orders, listings and court directories.
Plain-language glossary
Common terms in this guide
Hover or focus a term to read its definition. On touch devices, tap a term to expand it.
Hindi voice options depend on this device.
Useful questions before you begin
Is there one identical subordinate-court structure in every State?
No. The constitutional framework is shared, but nomenclature, local limits, administrative grouping and rules can vary.
Can this guide identify the court for my case?
No. The correct forum depends on facts, law, territorial and subject jurisdiction, valuation, procedure and current rules.