The Madras High Court has issued the directions for restricted functioning of Subordinate Courts in the State of Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry.

The Notification listed certain guidelines follows as:

  1. Presiding Officers of the Courts concerned shall ensure that physical hearing of cases be taken up with limited number of cases.
  2. Priority shall be given to old Cases and time bound matters.
  3. As far as practicable, only both side ready matters shall be taken up. Cases are to be heard on time slot basis.
  4.  Cause List on weekly basis with time slot be prepared in advance by the Presiding Officer of the Court concerned and the same has to be circulated to the members of the Bar/Advocates on the previous Friday.
  5. Only Listed matters be taken up. Apart from the cases that are listed, if any Advocate is willing to argue any other case, he can do so on a day in which his case is posted, provided both sides are ready and only at the convenience of the Presiding Officer.
  6.  Filing of cases shall be through Drop-box method as was done earlier.
  7.  NSTEP App may be utilized for service of summons.
  8.  No witness shall be examined on physical mode till 04.07.2021.
  9. The Principal District Judges/District Judges shall ensure that the Advocates arrive in the Court only for their respective cases and immediately after hearing of the case, they leave the Court Premises to avoid overcrowding. Advocates may also be requested to avoid unnecessary entry and gathering in the Court Complex and to maintain social distancing and to follow other COVID-19 Protocols. 10.
  10. The Principal District Judges of Coimbatore, Tiruppur, The Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam Districts are to take a decision as to functioning of Courts based on the prevailing Pandemic situation in their respective Districts.
  11. Bar Associations and canteens shall remain closed until further orders. However, to sanitise and to provide access to papers for the Lawyers, the Bar Associations may be opened for four hours on Saturdays (26.06.2021 & 03 .07.2021).
  12. 75% of Staff may be permitted to work on rotation basis, to be fixed by the concerned Presiding Officer of the Court.
  13.  The Principal District Judges/Principal Judge/District Judges of the • District concerned and the Chief Judge, UT of Puducherry can make all arrangements for the smooth functioning of Courts, and take decision depending on the situation prevailing in their respective Districts, without compromising on the Covid protocol.

The situation will be reviewed on 02.07.2021 (Friday) for further directions.

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Vishal Gupta