HC directs Registrar General to look into providing seats for accused

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed its Registrar General to look into the matter of making provisions for giving seats in the courts to those accused in the criminal and trial Courts.

The First Bench Comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam gave the direction on a PIL filed by A Jaiganesh, a social activist seeking a direction to all Judicial and Quasi-Judicial Forums in the state to treat victims, witnesses and suspects with dignity by offering them a seat.

"We find it difficult to accept that any court would deliberately make a woman or an expectant mother to stand in the court", the bench said.

Een in the witness box, if required, a person can be seated. The purpose is to record the testimony and not to cause pain or physical inconvenience. We again see no reason why if there are benches vacant, even the accused who come to the court cannot be seated there, the bench said.

The Bench while referring with a Supreme Court judgment in its order said "the dictum laid down by the apex court, all the courts would be expected to follow the same and this issue will be looked into by Registrar General of this Court and if required necessary direction/office order can be issued."

The petitioner in his PIL submitted that citizens who are arraigned as accused and summoned by criminal Courts are denied a seat and forced to stand for hours together, for days together.