Union minister explains why Centre can’t change Madras high court name now

CHENNAI: The Centre can do nothing now about changing the name of the Madras high court to Tamil Nadu high court as the issue is pending before the Supreme Court,

Union law minister

Ravi Shankar Prasad has informed

MDMK

chief Vaiko.

Vaiko raised the issue in Rajya Sabha on December 4, 2019. Now, the minister has written a letter to the MDMK chief.

“Bombay, Calcutta and Madras high courts were set up in 1862. After Independence, the three high courts are working under Article 225 of the Constitution. Based on demands from Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, a bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2016,” said the minister. Resolutions were passed by Tamil Nadu assembly.

In 2016, a full court of the Calcutta high court passed a resolution that it was not possible to change the name of the court. Later, the Madras high court also passed a resolution stating that the name could not be changed as it had been set up as per the Charter Act.

“As we were seeking views of experts, the tenure of the 16th Lok Sabha came to an end,” said the minister.

A new petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on this issue and it is pending, according to the minister.

On the issue of having the local language as the court language, the minister said the Supreme Court had refused to allow use of vernacular language in courts as per a resolution passed in 2016.


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