History

Initially, the Judicial Administration of Kadapa region was with the Vijayanagar empire. The Imperial Court at the capital was usually presided over by the monarch who also redressed the grievances of the local people during his tours. A series of Courts, both itinerant and stationary, were set up and an elaborate procedure for the conduct of trial and disposal of appeals was also prescribed. The Governors of ‘provinces’ were holding regular courts to dispense justice. The ‘amaranayakas’ in the villages disposed of cases on the same pattern. Civil disputes were mostly settled by the people themselves by setting up temporary Courts, known as ‘dharmasanas’ (seats of justice), which were wound up soon after judgments had been pronounced. They were invariably guided by the Manu, the Yagnavalkya and other Smrithis.

The British system of Judicial Administration, popularly known as the ‘Cornwallis system’ was introduced in the Madras Presidency in 1802. A hierarchy of Courts was set up in the district. Appellate Courts called ‘Provincial Courts’ were also established on the civil side. They were called Courts of Circuit when they tried criminal cases. The Sadr Adalat, consisting of the Governor and the members of the Council, was the next higher court against whose decisions appeals could be preferred to the Governor-General-in-Council. The Sadr Adalat was called the FoujdariAdalat when it conducted criminal cases. Capital punishments awarded by the Courts of Circuit had to be confirmed by the FoujdariAdalat. Magisterial powers were taken away from the Collectors in 1802 and vested with the Judges. Registrars and Native Commissioners with limited powers were also appointed.

In Kadapa, a Zilla Court presided over by a Zilla Judge, exercising both Civil and Criminal jurisdiction was set up in 1806.
The district was under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Court at Chittoor consisting of three Judges, one of whom was visiting the districts of Cuddapah, North Arcot and Chingleput for trying criminal cases. The following places in the district, at some time or other, been the headquarters of civil courts:-
Rayachoti: 1816-66
Tangatur: 1816-72
Nandyalampet: 1817-70
Vempalle: 1835-66
Duvvur: abolished in 1860
Badvel: 1864-84

Panchayats were also set up with powers of adjudication. The heads of villages were styled Munsiffs and certain limited powers in civil suits were conferred on them. They were also empowered to summon a village panchayat, from among the respectful inhabitants of the village, subject to the consent of both parties for the civil dispute. Intermediary Courts, presided over by District Munsiffs were also constituted. Magisterial powers were re-transferred to the Collectors and their subordinates.

The system continued to undergo a series of changes. In 1818, provision was made for the conduct of appeals in England, instead of by the Governor-General-in-Council. Auxiliary Zilla Courts with Assistant Judges, later called Subordinate Judges, were set up in 1827. Indian Judges were also appointed to try suits referred to them by the Assistant Judges. The powers and the pecuniary jurisdiction of all the Judicial authorities were enhanced from time to time. In 1843, the Provincial Courts (Courts of Circuit) were abolished and new Zilla Courts, presided over by a single Judge, were established, with appellate powers over the Subordinate Judges, Sadr Ameens and District Munsiffs. All criminal powers, previously exercised by the Courts of Circuit, were transferred to these new Zilla Courts whose Judges were designated as the ‘Civil and Sessions Judges’. The Civil Procedure Code of 1859, the Penal Code of 1860 and the Criminal Procedure Code of 1861 replaced the Regulations of the Company. The Sadr Adalat, FoujdariAdalat and the Supreme Court were abolished in 1862 and the High Court was established with Civil and Criminal jurisdiction over all the Courts in the Presidency. The Criminal Procedure Code of 1872 and the Civil Courts Act of 1873 determined the set up of the Criminal and the Civil Courts respectively. In pursuance of these changes, Civil Justice in Cuddapah came to be administered, about the year 1875, by a District Judge, a Subordinate Judge and six District Munsiffs. Besides, by a several Village Munsiffs also decided suits of the value of Rs.10 and below. Administration of Criminal Justice was in the hands of the District Magistrate, the Joint Magistrate, the Head Assistant, two Deputy Magistrates, eleven Sub-Magistrates and four Deputy Sub-Magistrates. In addition, TalukSheristadars vested with third class powers, also tried petty cases. Cuddapah was one of the districts where trial by jury, introduced in 1827, was in force. With the constitution of Bench Magistrates in every Municipality in 1895, a few leading residents were made Honorary Magistrates. Two of them with a salaried Magistrate as President formed a Bench with Third Class Magisterial powers. In 1914, First and Second Class benches were established in towns where suitable non-officials could be found. Early in 1918, Bench Courts invested with first-class powers and presided over by salaried Second Class Magistrates were also introduced to facilitate the formation of First Class Benches.

By 1891, there were four District Munsiffs’ Courts at Proddatur, Nandalur, Cuddapah and Madanapalle. With the reconstitution of the district in 1911, the number fell to three and the newly formed Kamalapuramtaluk came under the jurisdiction of the District Munsiff’s Court at Proddatur. Besides the reconstituted taluks, those of Gooty and Tadpatri of Anantapur district and Adoni of Bellary were brought under the ‘Civil and Criminal District’ of Cuddapah.
The scheme of separation of the Judiciary from the Executive introduced in 1949 by the erstwhile Government of Madras was extended to Cuddapah in 1950. A separate cadre of Judicial Magistrates was created to try criminal cases. The Executive Officers of the Revenue Department, termed as Executive Magistrates, were charged with ‘Police’ functions such as the handling of unlawful assemblies and administrative’ functions like the granting of licences under the Arms Act. The District Collector was designated as the Additional District Magistrate (Independent). The district came to be to be governed by the simultaneous system’ by which the same District Munsiff would act simultaneously as Civil and Criminal Judicial Officer. An additional District Munsiff was also attached to the Courts at Cuddapah and Proddatur.

The Principal District Munsiffs of Cuddapah and Proddatur and the District Munsiff, Nandalur, were made sub-divisional Magistrates and the Additional District Munsiffs at Cuddapah and Proddatur, First-Class Magistrates. The taluk of Badvel was taken away from the jurisdiction of the Nandalur District Munsiff and attached to that of the District Munsiff at Proddatur. A District Magistrate (Judicial) with jurisdiction over Cuddapah and Kurnool districts was appointed. With the formation of the Andhra State, a separate District Magistrate (Judicial) was assigned to Kurnool. Cuddapah was brought under the jurisdiction of the District Magistrate (Judicial) at Gooty. About this period, besides the Sub-Magistrates, there were Bench Courts at Cuddapah, Proddatur and Rajampet and an Honorary First-Class Magistrate’s Court at Cuddapah. In 1956, following the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code, the District Collector was redesignated as the District Collector and District Magistrate, Sub-Collectors, Joint Magistrates, Revenue Divisional Officers, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Personal Assistants to Collectors, Additional District Magistrates. The Judicial Sub-Magistrates were designated as Judicial Second Class Magistrates. The posts of the District Magistrate (Judicial) and the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (Judicial) were abolished. An Additional District and Sessions Judge in place of the former and First Class Magistrates in place of the latter were appointed. The Additional District and Sessions Judge, in his capacity as Judicial District Magistrate, began exercising supervisory powers over the subordinate magistracy in the district. The District and Sessions Judge, however, continued to be the administrative head, both on the civil and criminal side.

By 1961, Civil and Criminal justice was administered by the Courts of the District and Sessions Judge, the Additional District and Sessions Judge and Subordinate Judge, who is also the Assistant Sessions Judge, all with headquarters at Cuddapah, and the District Munsiffs-cum-First Class Magistrates at Cuddapah, Nandalur and Proddatur, the two Additional District Munsiff-cum-First Class Magistrates at Cuddapah and Proddatur, the two Bench Courts at Cuddapah and Proddatur with Honorary Magistrates presiding over them, the Honorary First-Class Magistrate dealing with cases under certain specified Acts and the Honorary Railway Special First-Class Magistrate, at Cuddapahand the Judicial Second-Class Magistrates in Cuddapah, Proddatur, Kamalapuram, Rayachoti, Rajampet, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendala, Badvel and Sidhout,(established in the year 1966) the Village Courts and the Village Panchayat Courts.

In 1976 District Munsiff Magistrate Court, Rayachoty was established. With effect from 12.10.1981, Judicial Second Class Magistrate Courts at Cuddapah and Proaddatur were upgraded as II Additional Munsiff Magistrate Courts and the Judicial Second Class Magistrate Courts at Badvel, Jammalamadugu, Kamalapuram, Pulivendala and Sidhout were upgraded as Munsif Magistrate Courts. Subordinate Judge’s Courts at Prodattur, Rajampet and Rayachoti were established in the years 1979, 1984 and 1991, respectively. In the year 1982, II Additional District Judge’s Court at Proddatur, III Additional District Judge’s Court in the year 2001 at Rajampet, IV Additional District Judge and VI Additional District Judge-cum-Family Court in 2006 and Permanent LokAdalat at Kadapa and V Additional District Judge’s Court in 2008 were established. Additional Senior Civil Judge’s Court Rajampet at Badvel and Additional Senior Civil Judge’s Court at Kadapa were established in the years 2004 and 2013, respectively. District Legal Services Authority at Kadapa was established in the year 1999.

Special Judicial Magistrate of I Class Court for Prohibition and Excise and Judicial Magistrate of I class for Special Mobile Court were established in the years 1979 and 1966, respectively. Munsif Magistrate Courts at Rajampet was established in the year 1980. Additional Munsif Magistrate Courts at Rayachoti and Badvel were established in the years 1982 and 1983, respectively. III Additional Munsif Magistrate Court at Kadapa was established in the year 1983. Munsif Magistrate’s Courts at Lakkireddipalli and Railway Kodur were established in the year 1984 and 2005, respectively. The Court of Junior Civil Judge-cum-judicial Magistrate of I Class, at Mydukur was established in the year 2008. The Official Receiver’s Court in Kadapa was established in the year 1934. Apart from these courts, the court of VII Additional District Judge’s Court-cum-Mahila Court was sanctioned vide G.O.Ms.No.48 (Home-Courts-A) Department, dated 21.4.2016 and VIII Additional District Judge for dealing with the offences under POCSO Act was sanctioned vide G.O.Ms.No.93 Law (L.LA & J Home-Courts-C) Department, dated 25.8.2020. Thus, now there is one Principal District Court, eight Additional District Judges’ Courts, Permanent LokAdalat, District Legal Services Authority, seven Senior Civil Judges’ Courts, 22 Junior Civil Judges-cum-Judicial Magistrate of I Class Courts, Judicial Magistrate of II Class Courts (Bench Courts) and Official Receiver Court in Kadapa.