• The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 26, 2012 by the Home Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram.  The Bill was passed by Parliament on May 16, 2012.

• The Bill proposes to amend the North- Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.  The Act provides that the Gauhati High Court shall be the common high court for the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.  

• The Bill proposes to amend the Act to provide for the setting up of separate high courts for the three states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur.

• After the commencement of the Act, the Gauhati High Court shall have no jurisdiction in respect of the states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram.  The cases before the Gauhati High Court relating to these three states shall be transferred to the respective new high courts.

• The Bill states that the expenditure for setting up the separate high courts shall be borne by the respective states.  

• The Bill also amends the Advocates Act, 1961 to provide that there shall be a separate state bar council for the three states.

• An advocate on the rolls of the Bar Council of the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura has been given an option to transfer his name on to the rolls of the new high courts.  The advocate has to exercise this option within one year of the commencement of the Act.

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