Nagaland lone Lok Sabha MP, S. Supongmeren Jamir, has raised the long-pending demand for a separate High Court for the state in the Lok Sabha on Monday, urging the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take immediate action.
According to Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee, Supongmeren pointed out that the Nagaland State cabinet approved the establishment of a separate High Court on April 8, 2021, and the necessary infrastructure, including a new High Court complex at Meriema, was already completed.
The complex at Meriema has seven courtrooms and eight separate bungalows along with other infrastructures like separate buildings for HC Bar Association and cafeteria etc.
However, he said the process was stalled due to the need for an amendment to the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He noted that Nagaland, which became India’s 16th state on December 1, 1963, currently falls under the jurisdiction of the Gauhati High Court, which serves multiple North Eastern states.
He said that a Circuit Bench was established in Kohima in 1972 and later upgraded to a Permanent Bench in 1990. However, Supongmeren said that Nagaland was yet to have its own High Court, despite being the second senior-most North-Eastern state after Assam.
While Tripura, Meghalaya, and Manipur established separate High Courts in 2013, he said Nagaland continues to be deprived of this judicial necessity, despite Article 214 of the Constitution mandating a High Court for every state.
He reminded that on July 7, 2021, both the Department of Justice and State chief secretary wrote to the Home Secretary, urging the amendment to be taken up in Parliament. However, no concrete progress has been made.
The MP has appealed to the MHA to expedite the amendment process and fulfill Nagaland’s long-standing aspiration for a separate High Court.