Madras High Court: Tamil Nadu Needs More Special Courts for Corruption Cases

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to examine the need for establishing additional special courts to try corruption cases after taking note of the pendency of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act across the State [A Shahul Hameed v. State of Tamil Nadu and Others]. Justice B Pugalendhi of the Madurai Bench observed that corruption cases could not be treated as an additional responsibility of principal district and sessions judges, particularly when the law contemplated their expeditious disposal."The pendency of 2,423 cases throughout the State, as on 30.06.2026, cannot be viewed as an ordinary workload to be dealt with as an additional responsibility by the Principal District and Sessions Judges," the Court said.The Court noted that exclusive special courts under the Prevention of Corruption Act were functioning in only eight districts of Tamil Nadu. In the remaining 30 districts, corruption cases were being heard by principal district and sessions judges alongside their regular judicial and administrative responsibilities.Justice B PugalendhiThe order was passed on a petition filed by A Shahul Hameed, an accused facing trial under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, which was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, effective July 1, 2024. While considering the petition, the High Court examined whether the existing judicial infrastructure was sufficient to comply with Section 4(4) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The provision requires corruption trials to be conducted on a day-to-day ba

Lawyers handling cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Tamil Nadu should anticipate a push for accelerated trial proceedings and increased judicial scrutiny, potentially impacting case strategy and timelines as the state government examines establishing more dedicated special courts.

Source: Original reporting via Bar and Bench