COURTS OF LAW : Courts are of four types.
(1) Supreme Court is the highest court. It has the power of supervision over all courts in India. The law declared by it is binding on all courts. It is purely an appellate court in criminal cases.
(2) High Court is highest court in every state. It may try any offence and pass any sentence authorised by law.
(3) Sessions Court can only try cases which have been committed to it by Magistrate. It can pass any sentence authorised by law, but a sentence of death passed by it must be confirmed by High Court.
Assistant Sessions Court can pass any sentence except death sentence and imprisonment not exceeding ten years.
(4) Magistrates’ are of three types:-
- Chief Judicial Magistrate- Upto 7 years Imprisonment and Unlimited Fine
- First Class Judicial Magistrate- Upto 3 years imprisonment and ₹10,000 fine
- Second Class Judicial Magistrate- Imprisonment upto 1 year and ₹5,000 fine
In Metropolitan cities (population more than one million), Chief Judicial Magistrate and First Class Judicial Magistrates are designated as Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and Metropolitan Magistrate respectively.