Section 4A in Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956
4A. [ Declaration of Tamil as the language of Courts for recording evidence in all proceedings. [Inserted by section 2 of the Tamil Nadu Official Language (Amendment) Act, (Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1976).]
- Notwithstanding anything contained in sections 2, 3 and 4 of this Act or in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act V of 1908) or in the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974), Tamil shall be the language of all -(i)Civil and Criminal Courts subordinate to the High Court;(ii)Tribunals; and(iii)Rent Courts and Revenue Courts;for the purpose of recording evidence in all proceedings:Provided that the Presiding Officer of any such Court or Tribunal may, in recording evidence in Tamil, employ English words and phrases, wherever, he feels necessary to bring out the exact purport and meaning:Provided further that the High Court may, by general or special order, permit -(i)any class of Presiding Officers of Civil or Criminal Courts, or Tribunals, or(ii)any Presiding Officer of any such Court or Tribunal to record evidence in English in such circumstances and for such period as may be specified in such order:Provided also that the Board of [Revenue] may, by general or special order, permit -(i)any class of Presiding Officers of Rent Courts or Revenue Courts, or(ii)any Presiding Officer of any such Court,to record evidence in English in such circumstances and for such period as may be specified in such order.Explanation. - In this section and in section 4-B, "Rent Court" or "Revenue Court" shall mean any Court presided over by an officer of the Revenue Department.]
