High Courts for States: There shall be a High Court for each State.

 On re-organization of the North-Eastern region by the North Eastern Area (Re-organization) Act, 1971, a common High Court was established for the five North-Eastern States namely; Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura and the two Union Territories namely Union Territory of Mizoram and the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh and called as the Gauhati High Court. Thereafter, when Manipur attained Statehood, Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court came into existence on Friday, the 21st day of January 1972.

             In exercise of the power conferred by Sub-section (2) of Section 31 of the North Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971, His Excellency, the President of India was pleased to establish the Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court at Imphal, vide Gauhati High Court (Establishment of Permanent Bench at Imphal) order dated 21st January, 1992. Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice M. H. Kania inaugurated the Permanent Bench at Imphal on Saturday, the 14th day of March, 1992 in the presence of the Governor of Manipur, His Excellency Mr. Chintamani Panigrahi and Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court,  Mr. Justice U.L. Bhat.

            On Sunday, the 30th day of April, 2006, the Foundation Stone for the new building of High Court at Mantripukhri, was laid by Hon’ble Shri Justice Y.K.Sabharwal, the then Hon’ble Chief Justice of India,  in the august presence of Shri O.Ibobi Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur, Hon’ble Shri Justice H.K.Sema & Hon’ble Shri Justice P.P.Naolekar, Judges of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, Hon’ble Shri Justice B.Sudershan Reddy, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court and his Lordships collegues and Shri Th.Debendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Law, Govt. of Manipur and host of VIPs. On completion, the  newly constructed High Court Building at Mantripukhri was inaugurated by Dr.Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and Smt.Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, UPA on Saturday, the 3rd day of December, 2011 in the august presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur Shri O.Ibobi Singh, Shri Salman Khurshid, Hon’ble Union Minister for Law & Justice, Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Shri A.K.Goel.

            Later, functioning of the Imphal Permanent Bench at the new Complex was  inaugurated on Saturday, the 7th day of April, 2012, by Hon’ble Shri Justice Altamas Kabir, Seniormost Judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the august presence of Shri O.Ibobi Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur, Hon’ble Justice A.K.Patnaik, Hon’ble Smti. Justice Gyan Sudha Misra and Hon’ble Mr.Justice Jasti Chelameswar Judges of the Supreme Court of India and Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Shri A.K.Goel, Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court Shri Justice Madan B. Lokur, Hon’ble Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Shri Th.Lokeshwor Singh, Hon’ble Madam Justice Manjula Chellur, Chief Justice (Acting) of Kerala High Court, Justice H.K.Sema, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and host of Hon’ble Judges of the  Gauhati High Court and other VIPs.

            On Monday, the 16th day of May, 2012, Parliament passed a bill amending the North Eastern Areas Re-organisation Act, 2012 and the same received the accent of the President of India on Monday, the 4th day of June, 2013. Vide this amendment Act the High Court of Manipur was to come into existence on the date to be determined and notified by the Central Government.       Vide Notification No.F.9/1/2011-NE-II dated 15th March, 2013 of Ministry of Home Affairs (North East Division), published in the Extraordinary Gazette of India under No.639 dated 15/03/2013, the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of Section 1 of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganization) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012, appointed  the 23rd day of March, 2013 as the date on which the said Act will come into force. Accordingly, the High Court of Manipur came into existence on Saturday, the 23rd day of March, 2013. Along with the said Notification,  under Order No.K-11018/9/2012-US.I dated 20th March, 2013, the Govt. of India, Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of Justice, published in the Extraordinary Gazette of India dated 20th March, 2013 that the President of India, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of Section 28A of the North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 has appointed that the Principal Seat of the High Court of Manipur shall, as from the 23rd day of March, 2013, be at Imphal.

On Saturday, the 23rd day of March, 2013,  Hon’ble Shri Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre was administered oath of office as the first Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur by His Excellency Shri Gurbachan Jagat, the Governor of Manipur at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan at Imphal and on the same day, his Lordship assumed the charge of office of the Hon’ble the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur. Later on the same day, Hon’ble Shri Justice N.Kotiswar Singh was also administered oath of office of  Hon’ble Puisne Judge of the High Court of Manipur in Court No.1 by Hon’ble the Chief Justice and assumed the charge of office.

            On Monday, the 25th day of March, 2013, the High Court of Manipur at Imphal was formally inaugurated by Hon’ble Shri Justice Altamas Kabir, the Chief Justice of India, in the august presence of Shri Okram Ibobi Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur, Dr.Ashwani Kumar, Hon’ble Union Minister of Law & Justice, Hon’ble Shri Justice Aftab Alam, Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil R. Dave, Judges of the Supreme Court of India, Hon’ble Shri Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur and Hon’ble Shri Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Hon’ble Shri Justice N.Kotiswar Singh, Shri Th.Ibohal Singh, Ld. Advocate General, Manipur, Hon’ble Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and other VIPs.