Covid-19: Courts in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry to Hear Only Urgent Cases from June 1 to 11

In view of the existing pandemic situation, the Madras High Court has decided to restrict its functioning only to take up extremely urgent matters, that too for 11 days between June 1 and June 11. For this purpose, M N Senthil Kumar, the Registrar (Judicial), has made special sitting arrangements for the judges.

At the principal seat at Chennai,the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy will sit as usual on all the days, (except the intervening holidays), till June 11. The bench of Justices R Subbiah and S Kannammal will take up the writ and appellate side cases, for three days from June 1.

The bench of Justices M M Sundresh and R N Manjula will take up the criminal side cases. Justice R Mahadevan will take up the writ petitions. In the pre-lunch sessions, Justice R Subramanian will take up the appellate and original side matters and in the post-lunch session, anticipatory bail petitions.

As regards the functioning of lower courts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, P Dhanabal, Registrar-General of the Madras High Court said that from June 1 to 11, the Principal District Judges/District Judges/ Principal Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai/Chief Judge, Puducherry/Judges-in-charge of Subordinate Courts, shall ensure that urgent matters are taken up for hearing as far as practicable through video conferencing alone. No final hearing of the cases shall be taken up.

The cases shall be taken up for hearing only on assessing and filing of urgency petition. The nature of urgency is to be decided by the Judge in- charge. All other cases posted for the day shall be adjourned en masse to a specific convenient date in the future.

Entry of lawyers and parties inside the Court premises shall be restricted unless and otherwise their presence is required. Physical service of summons and witness summons shall be deferred. Staff strength is to be maintained at the minimum level to meet the administrative exigencies, a press release said.

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