The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday urging the Central government to recognise Tamil as the principal language of the Madras High Court. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and received support across party lines.
The resolution highlights Tamil’s status as a classical language and points to the development of Tamil legal terminology and technology-enabled translation facilities. The state government has also sought a framework under which High Court judgments, decrees and judicial orders can be made available in Tamil.
The move follows a similar resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2006. The earlier proposal was forwarded to the Union government, but the request did not receive approval. The latest resolution seeks renewed consideration of the issue.
Under the existing constitutional framework, the use of a state’s official language in High Court proceedings requires the prescribed approval from the President. The Tamil Nadu government’s latest move therefore calls for action at the Centre to enable wider use of Tamil in the state’s highest court.
News as Reported.
