Sadr Diwani Adalat

Ṣadr Dīwānī ʿAdālat (Urdu: صدر دیوانی عدالت ) was a high court of civil and revenue jurisdiction in Mughal and British India. It was instituted by Warren Hastings, the British governor-general, in 1772. It sat in Calcutta and was the final court of appeal in civil matters; it consisted of the governor-general and two members of his council.

When the Bengal government clashed with the Supreme Court of Calcutta, which administered English law, Hastings tried to solve the problem of conflicting jurisdiction by persuading the chief justice, Sir Elijah Impey, to become head of the Ṣadr Dīwānī ʿAdālat as well. But the East India Company vetoed the arrangement.

This high civil court, like its counterpart for criminal jurisdiction—the Ṣadr Nizāmat ʿAdālat(in Bengal Presidency) and Ṣadr Faujdāri ʿAdālat (in Bombay Presidency & Madras Presidency) was abolished after the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58, and its powers and jurisdiction were transferred to new high courts of judicature set up by the Indian High Courts Act of 1861.

See also

• Sadr Faujdari Adalat
• Sadr Nizamat Adalat

External links

• English Law in India by Anil Chandra Banerjee
• 2.13 MAHARASHTRA
• Glossary: S, A glossary of special terminology used in India during the British Administration
• History of Medieval India by Chand, Hukam]
• Administrative System in India by U.B. Singh