Which court, and what it actually hears
Most people find out which court their matter belongs in only after arriving at the wrong one. Jodhpur has the principal seat of the High Court, a district judgeship, a family court and several tribunals.
High Court
The Rajasthan High Court has its principal seat at Jodhpur; the bench at Jaipur is the secondary seat, not the other way round.
District Court
The District & Sessions Court at Jodhpur is the principal trial court of the district — it hears sessions-triable criminal cases, bail in serious matters, and civil suits above the magistrate's pecuniary limit.
Family Court
The Family Court at Jodhpur hears matrimonial and family matters — divorce, judicial separation, maintenance, custody and restitution of conjugal rights — under the Family Courts Act, 1984.
MACT
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal at Jodhpur decides claims for compensation arising out of road accidents, under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Consumer Commission
The Consumer Commission at Jodhpur hears complaints against sellers and service providers under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — from defective goods to builders who do not deliver possession.
CAT
The Central Administrative Tribunal bench at Jodhpur hears service disputes of central government employees — recruitment, promotion, seniority, transfer, disciplinary action and pension.
Magistrate courts
The magistrate courts at Jodhpur, headed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, are where a criminal case first reaches a judge — cognizance, remand, and the trial of offences not triable by the Sessions Court.
Revenue (RAA)
The Revenue Appellate Authority at Jodhpur hears appeals against the orders of revenue officers — Tehsildars, SDOs and Collectors — in land record, mutation and revenue partition matters.
Lok Adalat
A Lok Adalat is a settlement forum under the Legal Services Authorities Act whose award is final and binding, with no appeal against it — which is both its advantage and the reason to think before consenting.
DRT (Jaipur)
The Debts Recovery Tribunal that covers Jodhpur sits at Jaipur, not at Jodhpur — bank recovery applications and borrowers' challenges under Section 17 of the SARFAESI Act from this district are filed and heard there.
Jodhpur is the principal seat, not a bench
Jaipur is the bench. You will see this stated backwards in a lot of places, including on the websites of people who should know better. If you are told your appeal goes to a “Jodhpur bench”, the person telling you has not filed one.
One more that costs people years: the Board of Revenue sits at Ajmer, not Jodhpur. Only the Revenue Appellate Authority sits here.
Start from the problem instead
Not sure which court your matter belongs in?
Describe what happened and you will be told which forum hears it — and what the deadline is.