CHENNAI: Even as the Madras High Court is trying to overcome challenges posed by the lockdown by making use of technologies like video conferencing to hear urgent petitions, sub-ordinate courts across Tamil Nadu are being left behind.
With not much facilites to run business in these tough times, these courts have seen a huge pile up in the number of criminal cases, bail applications and other pending important matters.
“District courts are the worst affected. Cases at various levels with significant judgments are pending. Only Magistrate courts that have video conferencing facilities are hearing bail applications, however in most of the cases, they too don’t work,” V Kannadasan, an advocate at the Madras High Court told Express.
‘Can’t attend everyone’
After several online bail applications went pending, the principal judge, in a circular issued in March said, reply to each mail is not possible due to the lack of supporting staff, and that all applications were kept pending for consideration.
In most of the cases, the police are now just turning away complaints, since judicial procedures have become difficult during the lockdown, said Kannadasan, referring to a domestic violence case. “Sub-ordinate courts should be improved infrastructurally as well as technologically, for the effective functioning of the judiciary,” he said. Another advocate S Arul said, “The Goondas panel has not met ever since the lockdown was imposed. People now confined in prison can very well be classified under illegal detention.”
With the lockdown being extended, and the HC calling for cancellation of vacation, the Bar council of TN and Puducherry has strongly batted for technological advances in sub courts. In a detailed letter to the Chief Justice of Madras HC, PS Amalraj, the Bar Council chairman, sought extending of video conferencing facility to all sub-ordinate courts during this pandemic period.