Madras high court
The PIL moved by MHAA challenged the Union Cabinet’s May 21, 1965, decision making English as the common language of high courts and the Supreme Court until Hindi replaced it. The high court recorded its in-principle support and identified the required facilities for making Tamil as the language of its proceedings 20 years ago. The petition pointed out that a similar resolution was adopted unanimously by the Tamil Nadu assembly on Sept 3, for making Tamil as the language for the high court proceedings.
The proposal and subsequent requests were never sent to the Presidential nod under Article 348 (2) of the Constitution due to reasons best known to the centre, the association said.
Taking note of the same, the court said it would hear both petitions together and adjourned the hearing by a week. CHENNAI: The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) has moved Madras high court seeking to permit use of Tamil alongside English in the proceedings of the court to enable the Tamil-speaking litigants to understand, participate and instruct counsel effectively in their cases. When the plea came up for hearing before the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan on Monday, the court was informed that a similar PIL had been filed by the Madurai Bar Association also, but it was not listed for hearing.