Stop presenting shawls, mementos, etc. while meeting High Court Judges: Madras HC in Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers

The Madras High Court Registry has asked Judicial Officers across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to stop the practice of presenting shawls, mementos, bouquet, garlands, and gifts, etc. while meeting judges of the High Court.

Laying down the code of conduct for the judicial officials, the recent circular issued by the Registrar General said that the officers “shall not visit the residences of the Hon'ble Judges of High Court, requesting promotion, transfer or any kind of favours.”

Further, it has instructed Judicial Officers to not stand or wait on the roadside at the outskirts of the town or city to receive the Judges of the High Court.

However, a responsible member of the staff shall receive the Judges at the outskirts of the town or city, the circular said.

The Code of Conduct has required the Judicial Officers to “not leave the Court during Court hours at any cost”.

“There is no compulsion on the part of the Judicial Officers to be present during the visit of Hon'ble Judges of High Courts, unless their presence is warranted officially or on courtesy call,” it said.

The circular, inter-alia, said that even during the official visit, the High Court Judges shall be received only by a responsible member of the staff and not by any Judicial Officer, if the visit is made during court hours.

“If the visit is outside the Court hours, the highest Judicial Officer (not all Judicial Officers) on protocol duty shall receive the Hon'ble Judges,” it said.

With regard to the private visit made outside the court hours, the Judges of High Court will be received only by the Judicial Officer deputed for protocol duty at the place where accommodation is provided or at the railway station or at the airport. “If the (private) visit is during Court hours, the Hon'ble Judges shall be received by a responsible member of the staff only,” read the circular.

Further, it has asked Judicial Officers to not address any communication directly to the High Court Judges and said that the communications are to be addressed only to the Registry and the Registry will place such papers before the Chief Justice or the Portfolio Judge.

The Circular directed all Principal District Judges/District Judges/Head of Units to share a copy of the code of conduct with all judicial officers functioning in their respective districts/units and instruct them to follow it scrupulously.