{"id":16812,"date":"2026-08-19T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T13:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/?p=16812"},"modified":"2026-08-19T13:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T13:55:49","slug":"chief-justices-of-gauhati-high-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-high-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Chief Justices of Gauhati High Court: Complete List from 1948 to 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Gauhati High Court<\/strong> is one of the most important High Courts in Northeast India. Established in 1948 as the High Court of Assam<\/strong>, it has witnessed several major changes in the region’s political and administrative history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the court has served different northeastern states and has been headed by several distinguished judges, many of whom later became judges or Chief Justices of other High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justice Ashutosh Kumar<\/strong> is the present Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. He took oath on 21 July 2025<\/strong> and is the 43rd regular Chief Justice<\/strong> of the court, excluding those who served only as Acting Chief Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article provides the complete list of Chief Justices of Gauhati High Court<\/strong>, its history, important judicial figures, and the evolution of its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Was Gauhati High Court Established?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of the Gauhati High Court goes back to the period immediately following India’s independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 9 September 1947<\/strong>, the Assam Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a High Court for Assam. The Assam High Court Order, 1948<\/strong> was subsequently promulgated on 1 March 1948.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The High Court of Assam officially came into existence on 5 April 1948<\/strong>. Sir Harilal Kania, the first Chief Justice of India, presided over its inauguration. Sir R. F. Lodge<\/strong> was sworn in as its first Chief Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, the court initially functioned from Shillong<\/strong> and shifted to Gauhati (now Guwahati)<\/strong> on 14 August 1948.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Was the First Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Ronald Francis Lodge<\/strong>, popularly known as Sir R. F. Lodge<\/strong>, was the first Chief Justice of the Assam High Court, the institution that later became the Gauhati High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took oath on 5 April 1948<\/strong>, the day the Assam High Court was inaugurated, and served until 7 April 1949<\/strong>. According to the Gauhati High Court’s official profile, he had earlier served as a Sessions Judge in Assam and as Registrar of the Calcutta High Court. He also authored the first judgment of the Assam High Court in Ali Laskar vs Arabjan Bibi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His appointment marked the beginning of a judicial institution that would eventually become the principal High Court for much of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Did Assam High Court Become Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name and jurisdiction of the court changed several times as the political map of Northeast India evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. High Court of Assam \u2014 1948<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court was established in 1948 as the High Court of Assam<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. High Court of Assam and Nagaland \u2014 1963<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Nagaland became a state in 1963, the court became known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland<\/strong> with effect from 1 December 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Gauhati High Court \u2014 1971<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971<\/strong> created a common High Court for Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. It was called the Gauhati High Court<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several decades, therefore, the Gauhati High Court had jurisdiction over a very large part of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Creation of Separate High Courts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judicial structure of the Northeast changed again in 2013 with the establishment of separate High Courts for Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Gauhati High Court has jurisdiction over:<\/p>\n\n\n\n