1. Which among the following is not correct about a High Court in India?
(a) The second appeal to the High Court is within its appellate jurisdiction.
(b) Every judge of a High Court is appointed by the President.
(c) Governor of the State appoints the Judges of a High Court.
(d) High Courts may accept a petition related to ‘Public interest litigation’.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (c) Governor of the State appoints the Judges of a High Court.
- The President of India appoints all Judges of a High Court using a special warrant with their signature and seal.
- Option (c) is incorrect but the other options are related correctly to High Courts in India.
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2. The salaries and allowances of the Judges of the High Court are charged to the:
(a) Consolidated Fund of India
(b) Consolidated Fund of the State
(c) Contingency Fund of India
(d) Contingency Fund of the State
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2013]
Ans. (b) Consolidated Fund of the State
- The salaries and allowances of the Judges of a High Court are paid by the State, while their pensions are paid by the Government of India.
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3. The age of retirement of a High Court Judge is –
(a) 65
(b) 60
(c) 62
(d) 58
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (c) 62
- The age when a Judge of the High Court must retire is 62 years old, which is set in the 15th Constitutional Amendment in 1963.
- Before that, it was 60 years old.
- There is a 114th Amendment Bill which wants to increase the retirement age of a High Court Judge from 62 to 65.
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4. Consider the following statements:
1. There are 25 High Courts in India.
2. Punjab, Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh have a common High Court.
3. The National Capital Territory of Delhi has a High Court of its own.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 3 only
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (c) 1, 2 and 3
- Currently, there are 25 High Courts in India.
- These courts are set up as part of the Indian Constitution.
- Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir have their own High Courts, which is the only Union Territory with a separate High Court.
- The High Court of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are all shared.
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5. Consider the following statements regarding the High Courts in India:
1. There are eighteen High Courts in the country.
2. Three of them have jurisdiction over more than one state.
3. No Union Territory has a High Court of its own.
4. Judges of the High Court hold office till the age of 62.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 4
(d) 4 only
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (d) 4 only
- There are a total of 25 High Courts in India.
- Seven of these have authority over multiple states or territories.
- Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir each have their own High Court.
- This makes option (d) the correct answer.
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6. The number of High Courts of Judicature in India is
(a) Twenty
(b) Twenty one
(c) Twenty-two
(d) Twenty-three
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (*)
- When the question was asked, there were 21 High Courts in India.
- Currently, there are 25 High Courts in India.
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7. When the Chief Justice of a High Court acts in an administrative capacity, he is subject to:
(a) The writ jurisdiction of any of the other judges of the High Court
(b) Special control exercised by the Chief Justice of India
(c) Discretionary powers of the Governor of the state
(d) Special powers provided to the Chief Minister in this regard
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (a) The writ jurisdiction of any of the other judges of the High Court
- The Chief Justice of a High Court has two roles: judicial and administrative.
- In their administrative role, they are answerable to any other Judge of the High Court.
- They are also in charge of monitoring and managing the Lower Courts.
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8. The power of the High Court to issue writ covers:
(a) Constitutional Rights
(b) Statutory Rights
(c) Fundamental right
(d) All of the above
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (d) All of the above
- The Supreme Court and High Court have the power to order people to do certain things.
- The Supreme Court’s power is restricted to Part III of the Constitution, but the High Court can order people to do things related to Part III and other legal rights.
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9. Match it.
| A. Habeas Corpus |
i. Be more fully informed |
| B. Mandamus |
ii. By which authority |
| C. Prohibition |
iii. We command |
| D. Certiorari |
iv. Let us have the body |
| E. Quo-Warranto |
v. Writ to Subordinate Courts |
A B C D E
(a) ii iv v iii i
(b) iv iii v ii i
(c) iv iii v i ii
(d) iv v iii i ii
(e) iii ii i v iv
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2019, Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (c) iv iii v i ii
| A. Habeas Corpus |
iv. Let us have the body |
| B. Mandamus |
iii. We command |
| C. Prohibition |
v. Writ to Subordinate Courts |
| D. Certiorari |
i. Be more fully informed |
| E. Quo-Warranto |
ii. By which authority |
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10. Which High Court stated that the divorce, by saying ‘Talaq’ 3 times, is illegal?
(a) Calcutta HC
(b) Allahabad HC
(c) Bombay HC
(d) Punjab HC
[39thB.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (b) Allahabad HC
- The Allahabad High Court ruled in the Rahmatullah Vs State of UP case in 1994 that it was not allowed for a Muslim husband to divorce his wife by saying Talaq three times.
- This action violated Articles 14 and 15.
- The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act of 2019 states that any form of talaq spoken, written, or in electronic form, is not allowed and is illegal.
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11. Which one of the following High Courts has the Territorial Jurisdiction over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Kolkata
(c) Madras
(d) Orissa
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (b) Kolkata
- Kolkata High Court is responsible for legal matters on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the Punjab and Haryana High Court takes care of Chandigarh.
- Delhi has its own High Court and Chennai High Court looks after Puducherry.
- The Kerala High Court governs matters in Lakshadweep.
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12. Which of the following High Courts has its jurisdiction over more than one state or Union Territory?
(a) Allahabad
(b) Delhi
(c) Gujarat
(d) Bombay
[38th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (d) Bombay
- The Bombay High Court has the authority to make decisions over more than one state or union territory.
- These include the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
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13. Which one of the following Indian States does not have its own High Court?
(a) Orissa
(b) Sikkim
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Manipur
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2005]
- When the question was asked, Manipur did not have its own court.
- It was under the court in Gauhati.
- The High Court of Manipur was created in March 2013.
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14. Who became the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court in 2008?
(a) Rajeev Gupta
(b) S.R. Nayak
(c) Anang Kumar Patnaik
(d) K.H.N. Kuranga
(e) W.A. Shishak
[Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2013 (*)]
Ans. (a) Rajeev Gupta
- Rajeev Gupta was appointed Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court on February 2nd, 2008.
- Before this, he was the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.
- The current Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court is P.R. Ram Chandra Menon.
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15. In which of these States, High Courts were established in March 2013?
1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Meghalaya
3. Mizoram
4. Tripura
Choose the right answer from the given code :
(a) only 1 and 3
(b) only 2 and 4
(c) only 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
[U.P.P.C.S (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (b) only 2 and 4
- In 2013, the Indian Government set up three new High Courts in the North-Eastern states (Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura).
- These High Courts began operating in March 2013.
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16. How many High Courts in India have jurisdiction over more than one State (Union Territories not included)?
(a) 2
(b) 3
(c) 5
(d) 7
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (b) 3
- Apart from the Union Territories, there are three High Courts that have jurisdiction over more than one state.
- These High Courts are as follows:
- Gauhati High Court – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Mizoram.
- Bombay High Court – Maharashtra and Goa.
- Punjab and Haryana High Court – Punjab and Haryana.
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17. Which of the following High Courts has the largest number of Benches?
(a) Kolkata High Court
(b) Madhya Pradesh High Court
(c) Bombay High Court
(d) Gauhati High Court
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]
Ans. (c) Bombay High Court & (d) Gauhati High Court
- The High Court of Kolkata is located in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. It also has a Circuit Bench in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and a division in Jalpaiguri.
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court is based in Jabalpur, with two temporary Benches in Indore and Gwalior.
- The Mumbai High Court has jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and has Benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
- The Guwahati High Court is situated in Assam, and has 3 outlying benches in Kohima, Aizawl, and Itanagar. Currently, Mumbai and Gauhati High Courts have 3 Benches each.
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18. Which one of the following subjects comes under the common jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the High Court?
(a) Mutual disputes among States
(b) Dispute between Centre and State
(c) Protection of Fundamental Rights
(d) Protection from the Violation of the Constitution
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006, I.A.S. (Pre) 1993]
Ans. (c) Protection of Fundamental Rights
- The Supreme Court and High Courts are responsible for protecting people’s Fundamental Rights.
- The Supreme Court (under Article 32) and High Courts (under Article 226) have the power to make sure the rights given in the Constitution of India are followed.
- It is important to note that the Supreme Court is known as the Guardian of the Indian Constitution.
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19. In which petition the judiciary orders Executives to perform their duty?
(a) Habeas Corpus
(b) Mandamus
(c) Prohibition
(d) Quo-Warranto
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (b) Mandamus
- A writ of Mandamus is a type of court order that orders a lower court or government official to do something required by law.
- “Mandamus” is Latin for “we command”.
- This type of order is usually issued by a higher court.
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20. Which one of the following is not the main jurisdiction of the High Court of a State?
(a) Advisory jurisdiction
(b) Original jurisdiction
(c) Supervisory jurisdiction
(d) Appellate jurisdiction
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]
Ans. (a) Advisory jurisdiction
- The Supreme Court has the main power to give advice on legal matters, not the High Courts, according to Article 143 of the Indian Constitution.
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21. Which among the following is issued when the procedure is pending in court?
(a) Mandamus
(b) Certiorari
(c) Prohibition
(d) Quo-Warranto
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Prohibition
- When a court case is in progress, a writ of Prohibition is issued.
- If a lower court is dealing with a case that is beyond its authority, the upper court will take over by issuing the Prohibition writ.
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22. The Writ of Certiorari is issued by a Superior Court
(a) To an inferior court to transfer the record of proceedings in a case for review.
(b) To an inferior court to stop further proceedings in a particular case.
(c) To an officer to show his right to hold a particular office.
(d) To a public authority to produce a person detained by it before the court within 24 hours.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (a) To an inferior court to transfer the record of proceedings in a case for review.
- The writ of Certiorari orders a lower court to send the details of a certain case and all of the related evidence and documents to a higher court for review.
- This is usually done so that the higher court can change the decision of the lower court.
- This is one way to protect people’s rights.
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23. Which one of the following writs examines the functioning of subordinate courts?
(a) Quo Warranto
(b) Mandamus
(c) Certiorari
(d) Habeas Corpus
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (c) Certiorari
- A writ of Certiorari is when a higher court tells a lower court to send them the details of a case so that they can check it out.
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24. Given below are two statements, one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other labeled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Willful disobedience or non-compliance of Court orders and use of derogatory language about Judicial behavior amount to Contempt of Court.
Reason (R): Judicial activism cannot be practiced without arming the Judiciary with punitive powers to punish contemptuous behavior.
In the context of the above two statements which one of the following is correct?
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true.
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- Both the statement and the explanation are true, but the explanation does not explain the statement, so option (b) is the right answer.
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25. Consider the following statements and choose the correct answer from the code given below :
Assertion (A): The public interest litigation permits public-minded citizens to reach the Court of Law.
Reason (R): The public-minded people may seek Justice for the person who is unable to reach the Court of Law for any reason.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Code :
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2004]
Ans. (a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- Both statements (A) and (R) are correct, with (R) providing an explanation for (A).
- Any citizen can go to court to get justice for the well-being of any other individual, group, or community through public interest litigation.
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26. Assertion (A): The scope of Judicial review is limited in India.
Reason (R): The Indian Constitution is “a bag of borrowing.”
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Codes :
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2002]
Ans. (b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- Assertion (A) is true because the powers of the Judiciary to review the laws of India are limited.
- This is because the Judiciary reviews laws that affect the main structure of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has defined the roles of each branch of government and the size of the Constitution.
- Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A), so the correct answer is option (b).
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27. Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the code given:
Assertion (A): High Courts are in a better position to protect the rights of Indian citizens than the Supreme Court.
Reason (R): The Supreme Court can issue writs to protect only Fundamental Rights.
Code :
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but, (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but, (R) is true.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2004]
Ans. (a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- Article 32 states that the Supreme Court can only issue writs for the protection of fundamental rights, while Article 226 states that the High Court can issue writs for both fundamental rights and other matters.
- Both of these statements are correct.
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28. What is the nature of the dispute of the Babri Mosque/ Ramjanmabhoomi Case before Allahabad High Court?
(a) Writ petition
(b) Title suit
(c) Claim for compensation
(d) Judicial review petition
[45th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (b) Title suit
- The Babri Mosque/Ramjanmabhoomi argument has been brought to the Allahabad High Court as a property rights case, in which two different groups have both claimed ownership of the same land and property.
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29. According to the Constitution of India the term ‘district judge’ shall not include:
(a) Chief presidency magistrate
(b) Sessions judges
(c) Tribunal judge
(d) Chief judge of a small cause court
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (c) Tribunal judge
- Article 236(a) states that the term ‘district Judge’ includes Judges of a city civil court, additional district Judges, joint district Judges, assistant district Judges, chief Judges of a small cause court, chief presidency magistrates, additional chief presidency magistrates, sessions Judges, additional sessions Judges, and assistant sessions Judges.
- However, it does not include Tribunal Judges.
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30. Acting Judges are appointed in :
(a) Supreme Court
(b) District Court
(c) High Court
(d) Both (a) and (b)
[U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) (Re-Exam) 2016]
Ans. (c) High Court
- Article 224 of the Indian Constitution allows for extra and acting Judges to be added to a High Court.
- The President can appoint additional Judges for up to two years if the High Court needs extra help.
- If a Judge is away or needs to act as Chief Justice for a while, a qualified person will take their place until they come back.
- An additional or acting Judge can’t stay in office once they turn 62 years old.
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31. The term District Judge is mentioned in which of the following Article of Constitution?
(a) Article 230
(b) Article 231
(c) Article 232
(d) Article 233
(e) None of the above
[Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (d) Article 233
- Article 233 of the Indian Constitution talks about appointing District Judges, which is a type of judge.
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32. Consider the following statements:
1. The mode of removal of a Judge of a High Court in India is the same as that of removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court.
2. After retirement from the office, a permanent Judge of a High Court can not plead or act in any Court or before any authority in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2007]
Ans. (a) 1 only
- The President can remove a High Court judge in the same way a Supreme Court judge can be removed, according to Article 217(1)(b).
- This means statement 1 is correct.
- After the Constitution starts, High Court judges cannot plead or work in any court or authority in India, except the Supreme Court and other High Courts, according to Article 220.
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33. A High Court Judge addresses his letter of resignation to–
(a) The President
(b) The Chief Justice of India
(c) The Chief Justice of his High Court
(d) The Governor of the State
[48th to 52nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (a) The President
- A Judge of the High Court can resign from their position by sending a written letter to the President.
- This is stated in Article 217(1)(a).
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34. Against which Judge the Rajya Sabha passed the motion of impeachment in 2011, but he resigned to save himself before it could be passed by the Lok Sabha?
(a) Justice V. Ramaswami
(b) Justice Bhattacharya
(c) Justice Soumitra Sen
(d) Justice P.D. Dinakaran
[R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 2012]
Ans. (c) Justice Soumitra Sen
- Justice Soumitra Sen from the Calcutta High Court was accused of stealing funds.
- The Rajya Sabha voted to impeach him in 2011.
- The Lok Sabha was scheduled to vote on the issue on September 5, 2011, but he resigned a few days before on September 1st.
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35. The mobile court in India is the brainchild of –
(a) Justice Bhagwati
(b) Mr. Rajeev Gandhi
(c) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(d) Mrs. Pratibha Patil
[48th to 52nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (c) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, first had the idea for mobile Courts.
- The first one was set up in August 2007 in Mewat district of Haryana.
- It was opened by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan.
- The purpose of the mobile Court is to bring justice closer to people living in remote areas, so they don’t have to spend money travelling to distant Courts.
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36. Who is the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh?
(a) Acharya Devvrat
(b) Suryakant
(c) Girish Sahani
(d) Shekhar Mande
[Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]
Ans. (b) Suryakant
- At the time the question was asked, Suryakant was the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh.
- Now, since 6th October 2019, the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh is Lingappa Narayana Swamy.
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37. Under Preventive Detention, a person can be detained without trial for –
(a) One month
(b) Three months
(c) Six months
(d) Nine months
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009]
Ans. (b) Three months
- The Indian Constitution says that someone can be held without a trial for no more than three months for preventative detention.
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38. Name the Chairman of the ‘Law Commission’ who advocated that One-third of the Judges in each High Court should be from another State.
(a) Justice P.N. Bhagwati
(b) Justice Hidayatullah
(c) Justice H.R. Khanna
(d) Justice Chandrachud
[Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (c) Justice H.R. Khanna
- Justice H. R. Khanna, who is the Chairman of the 8th Law Commission of India, suggested in the 80th report of the commission that at least one-third of the Judges of the High Court should be from different states (‘The Method of Appointment of Judge’s).
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39. With reference to Lok Adalats, which of the following statements is correct?
(a) Lok Adalat have the jurisdiction to settle the matters at the pre-litigation stage and not those matters pending before any court.
(b) Lok Adalats can deal with matters which are civil and not criminal in nature.
(c) Every Lok Adalat consists of either serving or retired judicial offi cers only and not any other person.
(d) None of the statements given above is correct.
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (d) None of the statements given above is correct.
- When deciding cases in a Lok Adalat, the most important thing to keep in mind is that both parties must agree to the decision.
- Neither party can back out of the decision once they agree to it.
- A Lok Adalat is presided over by a current or retired judge, with two other members, usually a lawyer and a social worker.
- It is usually easier to settle money disputes in a Lok Adalat, since the only disagreement is usually how much money is owed.
- Sometimes, it also deals with criminal offences.
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40. With reference to the ‘Gram Nyayalaya Act,’ which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. As per the Act, Gram Nyayalaya can hear only civil cases and no criminal cases.
2. The Act allows local social activists as mediators and reconciliators.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (d) Neither 1 nor 2
- Section 11 of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 states that the Gram Nyayalaya has the power to deal with both civil and criminal cases.
- This means that statement (1) is incorrect.
- Section 27 states that the district court should work with the district magistrate to make a list of social workers at the village level.
- This means that statement (2) is correct.
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