Syed Mahmood

Hon'ble Puisne Judge
Syed Mahmood
Puisne Judge of Allahabad High Court
In office
1887–1893
Personal details
Born24 May 1850
Delhi, Mughal Empire
Died8 May 1903(1903-05-08) (aged 52)
Sitapur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
ChildrenRoss Masood
ParentSir Syed Ahmed Khan

Justice Syed Mahmood (also spelled Sayyid Mahmud; 24 May 1850 – 8 May 1903) was Puisne Judge of the High Court, in the North-Western Provinces of British India from 1887 to 1893, after having served in the High Court in a temporary capacity as officiating judge on four previous periods since 1882.

He was the first Indian jurist to be appointed to High Court at Allahabad, and the first Muslim to serve as a High Court judge in the British Raj. Syed Mahmood also had a major role in assisting his father, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in establishing the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later developed into Aligarh Muslim University.

As a jurist, his judgments dominate the Indian Law Reports: Allahabad Series for the years he was on the bench. He also participated actively in the formation of laws through writing lengthy notes on proposed laws to the legislative councils of both the Governor-General of India and the Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces. Syed Mahmood was appointed to the N.-W.P. and Oudh Legislative Council from 1896 to 1898.