In 1833 an Act was passed by the British Parliament determining the constitution of the Privy Council as a Court of Appeal. The right to appeal to the king in Council was first granted in connection with the judgements of the Mayor's courts established by the Crown's Charter in 1726.The right was also reserved in reference to the Supreme Court at Fort William and Recorder'Courts (subsequently the Supreme Courts) at Madras and Bombay. In 1781 the right to appeal from the judgements of Sudder Diwani Adawlut of Bengal was also recognised, and Regulation XVI of 1797 limited this right in point of time to a period of six months from the date of judgement and in point of value to cases where the amount involved was not less than Rs 50,000 exclusive of costs. In 1818 the right of appeal was extended to the judgements of the Sudder Courts at Madras and Bombay. An order in Council issued in 1838 reduced the amount for the purposes of appeal from Rs 50,000 to 10,000, a proviso which was retained by the Charters of the High Courts in subsequent years. As originally constituted in 1833 the judicial committee of Privy Council consisted of the Lord President, the Lord Chancellor, and such of the Councillors as held or had held certain high judicial offices. By the Judicial Committee Act of 1871 four paid members were added whose place was subsequently taken by the four Lords of Appeal in Ordinary appointed under the provisions of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876. Under the Act of 1883 four members formed the quorum but by a later Act this number was reduced to three.
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