History

The earliest legal system of Midnapore with gradual development after Muslim Rule began with the administrative plan of 1772 by the then Governor General. It was devised with a District as the unit. The territory of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa was sub divided into a number of districts with the District Midnapore. In each of the Districts an English servant of the company was appointed as Collector, responsible for the collection of land revenue. The Judicial Plan was integrated with this scheme for revenue collection.

A Mofussil Diwani Adalat was established in each District including the District of Midnapore with Collector as a Judge. He was authorized to decide all civil cases such as disputes relating to real and personal property, inheritance, marriage, caste, debts, disputed accounts, contracts, partnerships and demands of rent. In all suits regarding inheritance, marriage, caste and other religious usages and institutions, the law of ‘the Quran with regards to Mohammedans, and those are Sashtras with respect to the Hindus’ were to be applied. The Collector who were called up on to administer justice, being Englishmen did not know much about these legal systems.

To facilitate disposal of small cases, provision was made for disputes up to Rs. 10/- to be decided finally by the head farmer of the Pargana where the dispute arose.

A Mofussil Nizamat or Fouzdary Adalat was established in the District to try all kinds of Criminal Cases. The Adalat consisted of the Muslim Law Officers, Kazi, Mufti and Moulavis.

A few provisions were made to promote pure and impartial justice. All cases were to be heard in open Court. All Adalats were to maintain proper registers and record. District Adalats were to transmit abstracts of their records to Sadar Adalats. Famous case named Cussijoya Case was tried.

Court stood for protection of the rights and property of individuals against encroachment by the Government Officers. A policy was devised for separating the two functions under Regulation-II of 1793 which abolished the Mal Adalats and transferred the Suits triable there to the Mofussil Diwani Adalats. Henceforth the Collector was responsible only for collection of revenue. The power of administering Civil Justice was taken away from the Collectors and given to the Dewani Adalat with Civil and Criminal powers. The first such District Judge of Midnapore district was Mr. Sermon Bard. Diwani Adalat were reorganized and Sadar Diwani Adalat became the highest Court in the Judicial hierarchy and the Governor General and members in council were to sit as Judges there. Simultaneously sub-ordinate Civil judicature was reorganized through out the District. System of payment of Court Fees was abolished. Another very useful and wholesome innovation was to create and organized the profession of Lawyers or Vakils on a regular and sound basis. A conspicuous defect in the scheme of 1793 was the exclusion of the Indians from any effective share in the public administration. Certain reforms were made thereafter. On 6th of April 1781, 13 Nos. of Civil Courts were established with one in Midnapore District with a District Judge having Civil and Criminal power. A close revolutionary comrade of the great martyr Kshudiram Bose was Jogjiban Ghosh. After the incident at Mujaffarpur the Britishers arrested many young men and many reputed persons of Midnapore and they were Aurobinda Ghose, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Hem Chandra Das Kanungo, Satyendra Nath Bose, Jogjiban Ghosh and others and the celebrated Midnapore conspiracy Case was started. But the said Case was a false one and the accused persons were acquitted.