PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

        Noticing that no publication available in the market provided Comprehensive information to the citizens on the practices and procedures adopted by this Court, Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India, suggested publication of a handbook, which would not only guide the common man seeking to approach this Court without legal aid, but would also be informative to the advocates practising in this Court.

        While keeping the expected needs of a common man in mind, my endeavour has been to include the information that may be sought by advocates practicing in this Court. Classification of jurisdiction will enable a layman to know in which cases appeals can be filed as a matter of right, where he has to seek leave of the Court for this purpose, and in which cases he can file a writ petition. The prescribed period of limitation and quantum of court fee will come handy to the advocates, while filing cases and documents. Compilation of subject categories and practice directions being followed by the Registry while allocating cases and listing them before various Division Benches, will enable everyone to confirm that his matter has been correctly categorized, allocated and listed. This will also ensure uniformly, objectivity and transparency in the working of the Registry of this Court. Enumeration of matters of public interest as well as those of private interest will avoid unnecessary petitions by those who do not know what are considered to be matters of public interest by this Court. The book will also render guidance to those who require free or concessional legal aid. Procedure for filing and processing of jail petitions will be helpful to under-trial prisoners sending petitions directly from jails. Awareness of the information available on the internet will enable retrieval of judgments and orders through internet and maintenance of a parallel case file. Subject-wise and section-wise particulars of the officers will enable the parties as well as the advocate to know who is the person to be contacted for seeking information in his case.

        This book does not claim to be exhaustive and it is possible that I have Failed to incorporate some relevant information.. The readers may kindly excuse the mistakes and shortcomings that may be discovered in this compilation. I hope, the book will be found convenient and useful by the common man as well as by the advocates and employees of this Court. I am highly indebted to Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India for sparing time to go through the book and write a Foreword for it. I am also grateful to my colleagues in the Registry for the valuable assistance rendered by them