The District and Sessions Court Lucknow — the apex trial court for the Lucknow Judgeship in the state of Uttar Pradesh — holds the distinction of being the largest judgeship in Uttar Pradesh with a total of 136 courts sanctioned by the state government. Serving India’s most historically magnificent administrative capital — the City of Nawabs, the cradle of Awadhi culture, the seat of the Chief Court of Oudh that was amalgamated into the Allahabad High Court in 1948 — the Lucknow District Court is an institution that combines extraordinary historical heritage with contemporary judicial complexity. Under the supervision of the Allahabad High Court through its Lucknow Bench, the court operates from two major campuses — the Civil Court Campus and the old High Court building handed over to the District Judgeship in 2018 — creating one of India’s most expansive district court physical footprints.
History
The judicial history of Lucknow is inseparable from the history of the Chief Court of Oudh — the highest court that functioned for the Oudh region from its establishment in 1925 until its amalgamation with the Allahabad High Court under the United Provinces High Courts Amalgamation Order 1948. The Chief Court’s institutional character — shaped by the Nawabi culture of legal refinement and the patronage of eminent lawyers including Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Sir Ali Imam — created a legal tradition in Lucknow that distinguished it from every other district in Uttar Pradesh.
Following the amalgamation in 1948, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court continued to sit in the city per the Amalgamation Order’s provisions. On October 4, 2018, a historic transfer of institutional space occurred — 25 courts of the old High Court Lucknow Bench building were handed over by the Allahabad High Court to the District Judgeship Lucknow. The District and Sessions Judge’s Court along with 24 ADJ Courts and Special Courts of ADJ level now function from the old High Court building campus — giving the Lucknow District Court an institutional and physical home of extraordinary historical resonance.
Structure and Composition
| Dimension | Detail |
| Lucknow Judgeship distinction | Largest judgeship in Uttar Pradesh |
| Total sanctioned courts | 136 |
| Old High Court building handed over | October 4, 2018 — 25 courts transferred |
| Civil Court Campus blocks | Three — North Block, South Block, Multistoried Building |
| Outlying civil courts | CJ (Sr. Division) Mohanlalganj + CJ (Sr. Division) Malihabad |
| Commercial Courts | 2 — at Old High Court Building Premises |
| Family Court location | American Library and Roushanuddaulah premises |
| Family Court composition | 1 Principal Judge + 8 Additional Principal Judges |
| Railway Magistrate Courts | Functioning at Charbagh Railway Station |
| Juvenile Justice Court | Separately functioning at Mohan Road, Lucknow |
| High Court supervision | Allahabad High Court — Lucknow Bench |
| Digital services | CIS 3.2, centralised filing from April 1, 2014, e-filing, computerised courts |
Architecture — The Old High Court Building Legacy
The old High Court building at Lucknow — which houses the District and Sessions Judge’s Court and 24 ADJ Courts after the October 2018 handover — is architecturally and institutionally one of the most significant buildings in Uttar Pradesh’s judicial landscape. Built in the style befitting a High Court for the Oudh region, this building carried the weight of the Chief Court of Oudh’s distinguished traditions before the Allahabad HC amalgamation. Its handover to the District Judgeship symbolically extended the heritage of Lucknow’s Nawabi-era legal tradition into the city’s contemporary district court identity. The Civil Court Campus supplements this historic premises with three blocks — North Block, South Block, and a multistoried building — housing the bulk of the civil judiciary’s 136 courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Lucknow Judgeship’s distinction in Uttar Pradesh?
A: It is the largest judgeship in UP with 136 sanctioned courts.
Q: When was the old High Court building handed over to the District Judgeship?
A: October 4, 2018 — 25 courts of the old Allahabad HC Lucknow Bench building were transferred.
Q: What are the three blocks of the Civil Court Campus?
A: North Block, South Block, and a Multistoried Building.
Q: Where does the Family Court Lucknow function?
A: At the American Library and Roushanuddaulah premises, with 1 Principal Judge and 8 Additional Principal Judges.
Q: Which High Court supervises the Lucknow District Court?
A: The Allahabad High Court through its Lucknow Bench.
Q: When did centralised e-filing commence at Lucknow?
A: April 1, 2014 — all fresh filings made from the server room/JSC room.
Q: Are there Railway Magistrate Courts in Lucknow?
A: Yes — functioning at Charbagh Railway Station for NR and NER matters.
