In a welcome move aimed at avoiding hardships caused to lawyers and litigants due to the delay in obtaining certified copies of court orders, the Madras High Court directed its Registry to upload its orders and judgments on the official website immediately after the judges sign them.
Issuing the direction, Justice S.M. Subramaniam made it clear that the advocates concerned could download the orders as well as judgments from the official website, attest them with their name, seal and Bar council enrolment number and communicate them to the respondents concerned for complying with the orders.
“In the event of communicating any such orders/judgments downloaded and printed from the official website of the High Court, the authorities concerned are bound to receive the same and verify the authenticity of the copy of the order with the official website of the High Court and thereafter implement it without any delay,” the judge said.
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It was further clarified that the government officials could not refuse to entertain web copies of the orders and judgment communicated to them by the advocates concerned.
“All officials are directed to acknowledge receipt of such orders and act accordingly,” the judge said and warned them of action if they refuse to accept them.
The judge instructed the High Court Registry to mark a copy of his present judgment to the Chief Secretary so that a circular in this regard could be issued to all government departments in the State. Registrar General C. Kumarappan was also directed to issue a similar circular to all lower courts in the State instructing them to accept webcopies of High Court orders.
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After directing the Chief Secretary to issue the circular within four weeks, the judge ordered to list the matter once again on February 14 for reporting compliance.