The role played by the High Court in finalising the constitution of new trial courts at various locations was a topic of discussion in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday. While an AIADMK MLA alleged that the judiciary was being a “parallel government,” the State government said it was the High Court that finalised the location of new courts.
AIADMK’s N. Thalavai Sundaram, while referring to construction of new buildings for courts in the State, equated the judiciary to a “parallel government” that finalised the location of new court and buildings necessary for them. He went on to claim that the judiciary “encroached” upon the rights of the State government.
Law Minister S. Regupathy maintained that the Registrar of the High Court estimated the need for courts at various locations and the Law Department only facilitated the construction in this regard. As for Mr. Sundaram’s charge about “encroaching” upon the government’s rights, the Minister said it was the erstwhile AIADMK regime that did so. Mr. Sundaram said such was not the “system” in other States, including Kerala and Maharashtra.
The AIADMK legislator further urged the Tamil Nadu government for a legislation on the lines of the Rajasthan Advocates Protection Act, 2023, which aimed at safeguarding advocates. To Mr. Sundaram’s concerns over legal steps being taken over the retrieval of Katchatheevu, Mr. Regupathy stressed the need to remain united to retrieve the islet from neighbouring Sri Lanka.
When the AIADMK legislator contended that there was no legal bar in the Supreme Court or in the High Court that prevented the State government to undertake a caste census, Mr. Regupathy reiterated the DMK government’s position that it was the Union government that should undertake the caste census.
When Mr. Sundaraman persistently pushed his demand for the State government to undertake the caste census, Mr. Regupathy maintained that census was not a State subject. He also sought to know why the erstwhile AIADMK regime did not undertake a caste census.
Not all law students become advocates: Minister
Earlier, the Minister said that not all the students who completed the law degree, enrolled themselves as advocates. But they use the degree as a foundation, and opt for other professions. About 1.75 lakh have enrolled themselves as advocates from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and about 9,000 enrol themselves every year, he said.
The Minister was responding to a query raised by Mr. Sundaram about the actual number of admissions in the State-run law colleges.
Mr. Sundaram sought to know if all the total sanctioned student strength of 15,086 seats in State-run law colleges across the State have been filled up. As for Minister’s contention that 1.75 lakh have enrolled as advocates, Mr. Sundaram said even among those who have enrolled, only about 65,000 were practicing law as a profession.
Published - April 04, 2025 11:57 pm IST
