HIGH COURT RIGHT TO INFORMATION(REGULATION OF FEE AND COST) RULES, 2006

HIGH COURT RIGHT TO INFORMATION(REGULATION OF FEE AND COST) RULES, 2006

In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 28 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central Act 22 of 2005), the Chief Justice of the High Court of Madras hereby makes the following Rules:-

1. Short title and commencement:-

(i) These Rules may be called the “High Court Right to Information(Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2006”.

(ii) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. Definitions:-

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:-

(a) “Act” means the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central Act 22 of 2005);

(b) “Section” means Sections of the Act:

(c) all other words and expressions used in these Rules but not defined and defined in the Act shall have the same meaning assigned to them in the Act.

3. Fees:-

Every application for obtaining information under sub-section (1) of Section 6 of the Act shall be accompanied by an application fee of rupees fifty by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or banker’s cheque payable in the Head of Account, as may be specified by the Public Authority.

4. For providing the information under sub-section(1) of Section 7 of the Act, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or banker’s cheque payable in the Head of Account, as specified by Public Authority at the following rates:-

(a) rupee two for each page (in A4 size paper) created or copied;

(b) actual charge or cost price of a copy in larger size paper;

(c) actual cost or price for samples or models; and

(d) for inspection of records, no fee for the first hour and a fee of rupees five for each fifteen minutes (or fraction thereof), thereafter.

5. For providing information under sub section (5) of Section 7 of the Act, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or banker’s cheque payable in the Head of Account, as specified by the Public Authority at the following rates:

(a) for information provided in diskette or floppy rupees fifty per diskette or floppy; and

(b) for information provided in printed form at the price fixed for such publication or rupees or rupees two per page of photocopy for extracts from the publication.

(BY ORDER OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE)

S. PALANIVELU,

REGISTRAR GENERAL.

The following are the subjects over which

Information can be made available to Public,

Subject to approval of Honourable the Chief Justice

The information in the following matters can be computerised and connected through a network all over the country so that access to this information is facilitated:

HIGH COURT, MADRAS/MADURAI BENCH:

1.Particulars regarding establishment of High Court.

2.Judicial as well as administrative powers of the High Court.

3.Names and addresses and telephone numbers of Honourable the Chief Justice and Honourable Judges of the High Court, both at Principal Seat at Madras and Madurai Bench.

4.The districts coming under the territorial jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court and the number of Honourable Judges sitting in Madurai Bench.

5.Kinds of cases being dealt with by the High Court:

(i) Appellate/Revisional jurisdiction (in both civil & criminal sides);

(ii) Extraordinary special original jurisdiction;

(iii) original jurisdiction including contempt;

(iv) Public Interest Litigation, Green Bench matters.

6.Details regarding constitution of Bench and subjects dealt with by each Bench.

7.Method of filing of cases by using coding sheet for its classification; Forms of appeal/revision/writ petition, plaint and various forms used on the judicial side; Nomenclature of the cases, Court fee payable, period of limitation, etc.

8.Method of processing/checking of cases; assigning of numbers and listing of cases.

9.Details regarding interim orders passed; making application for copy of the orders; service of notice; calling for records from the trial Court and sending back after the disposal of the cases; procedure as to listing of cases, which are ready for final disposal; final orders passed thereon; and furnishing of copies of the same. Hosting of judgments in the internet.

10.Destruction procedure after appealable time.

11.Details of cases filed in the Supreme Court against the orders of the High Court. (Supreme Court section)

12.Rules and Regulations, namely, Civil Rules of Practice, Criminal Rules of Practice, Limitation Act, Court Fee Act, Original Side Rules, Appellate

Side Rules, Standing Orders of the High Court and Madras High Court Service Rules.

13.Names, addresses and telephone numbers of the officers of the High Court; The duties and responsibilities of the officers of the High Court assigned by the Honourable Chief Justice; Scales of pay of the officers and employees in the High Court.

14.Details about various judicial and administrative sections in the High Court with the strength and designation of the staff working in each section category wise; the subjects dealt with by each section – both in judicial and administrative sides.

15.The details about the Information Centre of the High Court to assist the litigant public to get the details of the cases filed; the details regarding the pendency or disposal of such cases, and the orders passed thereon.

16.Number of working days/working hours of the High Court and the Registry; List of Holidays for the High Court and for the Subordinate Courts of Tamilnadu including the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

17.Services available under the Legal Services Authorities, High Court Legal Services Committee and the Tamil Nadu Mediation and Conciliation Centre.

18.Procedure regarding reference of cases to Lok Adalats; Details as to the conduct of Lok Adalats in the High Court.

19.Details about the panel of lawyers of the High Court Legal Services Committee and the panel of mediators of the Tamil Nadu State Mediation and Conciliation Centre, High Court, Madras. Details about the panel of Advocate Commissioners and Receivers set by the High Court on its original side.

20.Details as to the constitution as well as functioning of the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy. The details about the programmes, refresher courses, seminars and workshops conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy.

21.The Constitution of Administrative Committee and various other committees and the subjects dealt with by those committees.

22.Allotment of districts to the Judges (portfolio Judge) for the administrative as well as judicial purposes.

23.Recruitment to Judicial service (Civil Judges (Junior Division)), the procedure, the method and other relevant details, as and when called for.

24. Posting and transfer of subordinate Judicial Officers.

25.Any circular issued by the High Court for the Court Administration which are necessarily to be made known to the public.

26.Proposals regarding the requirement of infrastructure for the judiciary and forwarded to the Government for sanction.

27.The budget allocation by the State for the judiciary.

28.Details about the Museum of the Madras High Court.

SUBORDINATE COURTS

01. The number of Courts, cadre-wise functioning in each district with names of judicial officers, addresses, telephone numbers, etc.

02. The matters dealt with by each Court.

03. The pecuniary as well as territorial jurisdiction of each Court in the district.

04. The details of Magistrate Courts in each district with jurisdiction over police stations.

05. The method of filing of cases before various subordinate courts, process of checking, numbering and posting as well as orders, either interim or final order passed; method of filing copy applications.

06. Process Fee payable.

07. Procedure for making application and payment of witness batta to those witnesses who have appeared before the Court.

08. Procedure for claiming return of the properties from the Court.

09. The working hours of the Courts in the Subordinate Courts in Tamil Nadu.

10. The calendar for the subordinate Courts indicating the list of holidays.

11. The law relating to limitation, court fee, etc., for the cases to be filed before the various subordinate Courts in the districts.

12. Names of the staff members working in various Courts in the districts and the duties assigned to them.

13. The location of the Courts, distance-wise, from the district headquarters.

14. The procedure for filing appeals as against the orders and judgments passed by the subordinate Courts to the appellate Courts.

15. The norms fixed by the High Court for disposal of cases by the Judicial Officers in the district.

16. The existence of the District Legal Services Authority and Taluk Legal Services Committees and the subjects dealt with by them and also the procedure for seeking redress from those bodies..

17. The panel of lawyers for Legal Service Authorities, the panel of mediators, etc., at the district, taluk levels.

18. The scales of pay of the officers and employees in the subordinate Courts.

19. The facilities provided in the Family Courts, viz., the Children Centre, Mediation Centre and the availability of the services of Marriage Counsellors.

20. The names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers and the appellate authorities available in each judicial district.

21. Any other information with the approval of the Chief Justice.

As per the guidelines given in the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central Act 22 of 2005), the Chief Justice of the High Court of Madras appoints the following officials as Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information Officers, by designation.

A. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS AT THE PRINCIPAL SEAT OF

THE MADRAS HIGH COURT AND MADURAI BENCH OF THE

MADRAS HIGH COURT.

Sl.No

Name and Designation

1

Thiru. G. Chinniya Naidu,

Registrar (Administration), High Court, Madras.

2

Thiru.V. Vijayan,

Registrar (Administration), Madurai Bench of Madras HighCourt, Madurai.

B. ASSISTANT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS AT THE

PRINCIPAL SEAT OF THE MADRAS HIGH COURT AND

MADURAI BENCH OF THE MADRAS HIGH COURT.

Sl.No

Name and Designation

1

Deputy Registrar (Admin) , High Court, Madras.

2

Deputy Registrar (Admin), Madurai Bench of Madras HighCourt, Madurai.

C.PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS FOR SUBORDINATE COURTS

Sl.No

Name and Designation

1

Principal Judge, City Civil Court Chennai

2

Chief Judge, Court of Small Causes, Chennai

3

Principal Judge, Family Court, Chennai.

4

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, Chennai.

5

Principal District Judges/District Judges of every district.

6

Chief Judicial Magistrate of every district.

D. ASSISTANT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS FOR

SUBORDINATE COURTS

Sl.No

Name and Designation

1

Personal Assistant to the Principal Judge,

City Civil Court Chennai

2

Registrar, Court of Small Causes, Chennai

3

Sheristadar, Family Court, Chennai.

4

Sheristadar, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate,

Egmore, Chennai.

5

Personal Assistant to the Principal District Judges/DistrictJudges of every district.

6

Sheristadar of Chief Judicial Magistrate of every district.

The Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information Officers will discharge the functions prescribed in the Right to Information Act, 2005 subject to the internal procedures laid down by the Honourable Chief Justice of Madras High Court.