Effective July 1, 2024, this re-designation affects Courts in all metropolitan areas and Judicial districts, previously known as Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, and Metropolitan Magistrates.
NEW DELHI: Today (1st July): Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Acting Chief Justice and Judges of the High Court have re-designated the existing Magisterial Courts in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Effective July 1, 2024, this re-designation affects Courts in all metropolitan areas and Judicial districts, previously known as Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, and Metropolitan Magistrates.
The High Court order states:
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of Section 9 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and all other powers enabling them in this behalf, the Acting Chief Justice and Judges of this Court have re-designated the existing Magisterial Courts of Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Metropolitan Magistrates, etc., of all the Metropolitan Areas (erstwhile) and Judicial Districts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, effective from 01.07.2024.”
This change reclassifies the Courts into Chief Judicial Magistrates, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates, and Judicial Magistrates of the First Class, corresponding to specific areas and case categories, ensuring continuity with the previous court structure.
The order, undersigned by the Registrar General, states:
“The aforesaid Courts of Chief Judicial Magistrates, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates, Judicial Magistrates of the First Class, etc., of the given judicial districts shall exercise powers and jurisdiction over the same categories of cases and/or cases of the same police stations/areas as were being exercised by the corresponding erstwhile Courts of Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Metropolitan Magistrates, etc., prior to the issuance of this order.”
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Under this reorganization, the Courts will retain their existing jurisdiction over cases and police station areas as per previous allocations. Specific categories of cases previously handled by Chief Metropolitan Magistrates or their equivalents will now fall under the jurisdiction of the newly designated Chief Judicial Magistrates and their counterparts.
This re-designation aligns with the provisions of sub-section (2) of Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, ensuring that all judicial powers and functions previously vested in Chief Metropolitan Magistrates are seamlessly transferred to the newly re-designated courts.
The order further states:
“The aforesaid Courts of Chief Judicial Magistrates, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates, Judicial Magistrates of the First Class, etc., of the given judicial districts would continue to exercise the powers of Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Metropolitan Magistrates, etc., as exercisable under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for the purposes of and in terms of the provisions of sub-section (2) of Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.”
View Order Copy
