The Bar Associations of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court have written to the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Munishwar Nath Bhandari, seeking constitution of a Special Bench for cases related to sitting and former MLAs and MPs at the Madurai Bench.
Following a Supreme Court direction, a Special Bench was constituted to hear criminal cases relating to legislators at the Madras High Court. At present, Justice M. Nirmal Kumar has been assigned the portfolio to hear the cases.
Justice Nirmal Kumar is presently sitting at the Principal seat. Both for the Principal seat in Chennai and the Bench in Madurai, only one judge has been allotted the portfolio. No judge has been allotted for Madurai Bench.
This would cause difficulties to advocates and litigants who have to file cases relating to MLAs and MPs that arise within the jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench, the advocates said.
Allotting the cases relating to sitting and former MLAs and MPs that arise within the jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench to any judge sitting at the Madurai Bench would save judicial time, they said and requested the Acting Chief Justice to constitute a Special Bench at the Madurai Bench. This would help the advocates and litigants.
