Madras High Court Annual Report for the Year 2017
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MADRAS HIGH COURT ANNUAL REPORT 2017 From the desk of the Editorial Committee The year 2017 has been a momentous year for the Madras High Court with the celebration of the 125th year of the existence of the majestic and imposing heritage building housing the 155 year old High Court, on the 16th day of September, 2017, witnessed by a galaxy of dignitaries, Government officials of various departments, along with the Bench, Bar and the Registry of the Madras High Court and the District Judiciary. Besides recording this historic event, this Report encapsulates and reports the increase in the strength of the Madras High Court and the District Judiciary, gist of landmark judgments rendered during the year, particulars detailing the quantum of institution, disposal and pendency of cases in the Madras High Court and in the District Judiciary, the existing and extended facilities of infrastructure, the renovatory measures taken for the conservation of the heritage building, the contribution of the local Government for constitution of courts and for effective functioning of the Judiciary, initiatives taken to make the courts in the State paperless and litigant friendly, the intensive training resources and the development in the Alternative Disputes Resolution. The Editorial Committee acknowledges the contribution of the Registry to this Report. The Committee places on record the services rendered by the editorial team of the Current Tamilnadu Cases in vetting the gist of landmark judgments. Justice M.M.Sundresh Justice T.S.Sivagnanam Designed & Printed by Justice S. Vimala GNANODAYA PRESS, Chennai-35 Justice P.N. Prakash Published by High Court of Madras Justice T.Ravindran Softcopy of this book is available at www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in All Rights reserved No part of this publication be reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form, mechanical, electronic or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Madras High Court. 2 Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 3 CONTENTS HON’BLE JUDGES 07 Profiles Sanctioned and Working Strength of Hon’ble Judges Landmark Judgments of Public Importance Committees REGISTRY 49 Registrars’ - Profiles Sanctioned and Working Strength of the Registry Sanction of Additional Staff strength during 2017 – High Court Sanctioned and Working Strength of the District Judiciary Sanction of Additional Staff Strength in 2017 – District Judiciary STATISTICS 69 Institution, Disposal & Pendency of Cases in Madras High Court - Principal Seat & Madurai Bench District Judiciary Statement of Pendency of Cases - Yearwise Madras High Court - Principal Seat & Madurai Bench District Judiciary INFRASTRUCTURE 81 Principal Seat of the Madras High Court Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court Conservation of the Heritage Building Museum Library Development of Infrastructure facilities in District Judiciary Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 5 CONTENTS 125th ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATIONS OF THE MADRAS HIGH COURT HERITAGE BUILDINGS 117 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HIGH COURT & IN THE DISTRICT JUDICIARY IN 2017 ON THE TECHNICAL FRONT & IN OTHER FIELDS 125 Computerization - High Court & District Judiciary Recruitment Cell GSICC Vigilance Cell CONSTITUTION OF COURTS 141 BUDGET & 14th FINANCE COMMISSION 157 HON’BLE JUDGES TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL ACADEMY 161 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION 179 Tamil Nadu Mediation and Conciliation Centre Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority Union Territory of Puducherry Legal Services Authority 6 HON’BLE JUDGES - PROFILES Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh Acting Chief Justice from 17.02.2017 to 04.04.2017 Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice S. Manikumar A. Selvam K.K.Sasidharan Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice M. Venugopal R. Subbiah Rajiv Shakdher HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE INDIRA BANERJEE, CHIEF JUSTICE Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice M. Sathyanarayanan C.T. Selvam N. Kirubakaran Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 9 Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Selvi. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice M. M. Sundresh T.S. Sivagnanam M. Duraiswamy V.M. Velumani V. Bharathidasan D. Krishnakumar Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Dr.Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice T. Raja K. Ravichandrabaabu S. Vimala S.S. Sundar M.V. Muralidaran P. Kalaiyarasan Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice P.N. Prakash Pushpa Sathyanarayana K. Kalyanasundaram N. Authinathan V. Parthiban R. Subramanian Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice S. Vaidyanathan R. Mahadevan Satrughana Pujahari M. Govindaraj M. Sundar R. Suresh Kumar (Assumed office on 23.11.2017) 10 Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 11 Hon’ble Judges elevated during 2017 Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice J. Nisha Banu M.S. Ramesh S.M. Subramaniam Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice V. Bhavani Subbaroyan A.D. Jagadish Chandira G.R. Swaminathan Hon’ble Dr. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Anita Sumanth A.M. Basheer Ahamed T. Ravindran Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru.Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Abdul Quddhose M. Dhandapani P.D. Audikesavalu Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Dr. Justice S. Baskaran P. Velmurugan G. Jayachandran Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice S. Ramathilagam R. Tharani P. Rajamanickam Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice C.V. Karthikeyan RMT. Teekaa Raman N. Sathish Kumar N. Seshasayee 12 Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 13 HON’BLE CHIEF JUSTICE – ELEVATED TO SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DURING 2017 Hon’ble Tmt. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Tmt. Justice T. Krishnavalli R. Pongiappan R. Hemalatha Hon’ble Judges elevated during 2018 Hon’ble Selvi. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice P.T. Asha M.Nirmal Kumar Subramonium Prasad Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice HON’BLE JUDGES – PROFILES HON’BLE Anand Venkatesh G.K. Ilanthirayan Krishnan Ramasamy C. Saravanan SANJAY KISHAN KAUL Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble Judge, Supreme Court of India (Chief Justice of Madras High Court till 16.02.2017) 14 Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 15 SANCTIONED STRENGTH, WORKING STRENGTH AND VACANCY POSITION HON’BLE JUDGES – RETIRED DURING 2017 OF HON’BLE JUDGES OF MADRAS HIGH COURT - 2017 Sanctioned Strength of Hon’ble Judges - 75 Working Strength of Hon’ble Judges as No. of Hon’ble Judges elevated to 57 1 on 01.01.2017 Supreme Court No. of Hon’ble Judges who assumed No. of Hon’ble Judges transferred to office in 2017 on transfer from other 2 NIL other High Courts in 2017 Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice High Court M.Jaichandren Nooty Ramamohana Rao S. Nagamuthu S. Palanivelu No. of Hon’ble Judges who assumed office in 2017 on elevation from Bar & 12 No. of Hon’ble Judges retired in 2017 10 Subordinate Judiciary Sanctioned and Working Strength of Hon’ble Judges ofJudges Strength Working Hon’ble Sanctioned and SANCTIONED, WORKING STRENGTH AND VACANCY POSITION OF HON ’BLE JUDGES Working Strength Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Selvi. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice B. Rajendran R. Mala T. Mathivanan P. Devadass 60 Sanctioned Strength Vacant 75 15 Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hon’ble Mr. Justice G. Chockalingam B. Gokuldas VacantVacant Workingworking Strength Hon’ble Judges – Profiles Hon’ble 16 Madras High Court Annual Report 2017 | 17 GIST OF LANDMARK JUDGEMENTS RENDERED BY HON’BLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT OF MADRAS DURING 2017 1. Local Bodies Election — Credentials and of Teachers, not applicable to Minority antecedents of Candidates : Direction to Institutions : Right conferred under Article upload details provided by Candidates in 30(1) cannot be abrogated : Government cannot insist upon Minority Institutions their Affidavits, in Website : Challenge to : to abide by any Regulations framed under Held, electors entitled to know credentials RTE Act. However, Minority Institutions may and antecedents of all Candidates consider conducting a Refresher Course contesting elections : Informations provided and Interactive Sessions to Teachers during by Candidates has to be uploaded in annual vacation in order to improve quality Website of Election Commission as directed of Teachers. by Single Judge : Further clarified that State — (DB)* Huluvadi G. Ramesh, J. in The Secretary Election Commission shall consolidate, to Government, Government of Tamil Nadu, record and data base details provided in Education Department, Chennai and others v. S. Jeyalakshmi and another, W.A. Nos.213 & 572 Affidavits andpload u in its Website. of 2016, dated 24.8.2016 : 2016 (5) CTC 639 * (Huluvadi G. Ramesh & M.V. Muralidaran, JJ.) Local Bodies Election — Panchayats & Landmark Judgements of Importance Landmark Public Municipalities, duration of : Articles 243-E & 3. Customs Act — Seizure of smuggled Gold Madurai Bench Madurai 243-U, Constitution of India fixing duration jewellery : Provisional release of : “Prohibited as maximum 5 years, mandatory in nature goods” : Scope : In the Appeal against the : Elections to be conducted before expiry dismissal of the prayer seeking to grant of duration of 5 years’ period : Disability to provisional release of seized gold, it was perform mandatory duty should be without held that prohibitions/restrictions are in- default : Drought situation not such as built in statute, or by Notifications subject to to render holding of Elections absolutely which, goods are to be imported and when impossible.