Vidhi Codex

Maharashtra High Court (Hearing of Writ Petitions by Division Bench and Abolition of Letters Patent Appeals) Act

The Maharashtra High Court (Hearing of Writ Petitions by Division Bench and Abolition of Letters Patent Appeals) Act, 1986

Corporate19863 sections

This Act regulates how the Bombay High Court hears constitutional cases and manages internal appeals. It applies to all litigants in Maharashtra seeking court orders against government actions or lower court decisions. Under this law, constitutional petitions must generally be heard by a division bench rather than a single judge. Most importantly, it abolishes letters patent appeals, which allowed individuals to appeal rulings of a single judge to a larger bench of the same court. This change matters to citizens because it streamlines the judicial process, reduces case backlogs, and prevents prolonged litigation by removing a redundant layer of appeal.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 1. Short title and commencement.
  2. 2. Writ Petitions, etc. in the High Court to be heard by Division Bench.
  3. 3. Abolition of appeal from judgement or order of single Judge of High Court made in exercise of original or appellate jurisdiction.

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