Today is, if I may say so, a memorable day in the history of this country. It is exactly after 175 years that the judicial connection of this country with England comes to an end. It was, Honourable Members may be aware, in 1774, when, by an Act of Parliament passed in the previous year, a Supreme Court was, established at Fort William in the Province of Bengal. By that Act provision was made for taking appeals from the judgments, decrees and orders of the Supreme Court to His Majesty’s Privy Council in England. In 1800 a Supreme Court was established in Madras and in 1823 another Supreme Court in Bombay, and appeals from these three Courts were regularly taken to England. In 1883 the British Parliament passed the Judicial Committee Act by which the Privy Council appointed a Committee only, to hear and dispose of appeals from India and the colonies, consisting only of persons with judicial or legal experience from amongst its members. From 1833 up to now this jurisdiction has been exercised by that august body.
