Madurai Bench of HC has been a catalyst for positive social change, says CJI

Madurai Bench of Madras High Court celebrated 20 years of impactful judgments, promoting social change and accessibility in legal system.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has not just dispensed justice. It has been a catalyst for positive social change, having made great strides by recognising the rights of transpersons to marry and extending women-centric laws and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, to accord protection to transgender and intersex persons, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering at the celebrations to mark the completion of 20 years of establishment of the Madurai Bench, held at the Madurai convention Centre here, he said the Bench had addressed the region’s unique environmental concerns and human rights issues. “This success story is a testament to the collective efforts of the judiciary, the Bar and the court staff,” he added.

According to him, one would be highly mistaken if they were to believe that the impact of judgments delivered by the Madras High Court, especially the Madurai Bench, was restricted to Tamil Nadu. “Lawyers, judges and citizens of the country look at the judgments delivered by the Madurai Bench with great appreciation. It is remarkable that the Bar and the judges of the Bench have gained such a reputation in a short span of just 20 years,” the CJI said.

On the accessibility of courts and making them citizen-centric, the CJI said one of the facets of accessibility was overcoming language and distance barriers between the citizens and the courts. Initiatives such as translation of judgments in regional languages, developing infrastructure of e-courts, and holding virtual hearing had been taken to address this. Nearly 2,000 judgments of the Supreme Court have been translated into Tamil, the CJI added.

He further said that senior members of the Bar must promote talent and help junior lawyers by giving them a dignified amount to sustain themselves. It takes a village to raise a child. Similarly, it takes the entire Bar to raise competent lawyers unfettered by their socio-economic background.

He unveiled, via video-conference, the vigentennial stupa installed at the Madurai Bench. The new name board of the Madurai Bench, Madras Uyar Needhimandram Madurai Amarvu, and work to set up 100 e-seva kendras in the southern and the northern districts of Tamil Nadu each were launched at the event.

Supreme Court Judges Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice M.M. Sundresh, Justice K. V. Viswanathan and Justice R. Mahadevan; Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court S. Vaidyanathan; Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Justice D. Krishnakumar; Administrative Judge of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court Justice R. Suresh Kumar; sitting and retired judges of the High Court, advocates and court staff were present at the event.