High Court

Madras High Court established

Crown Letters Patent created the High Court of Judicature at Madras in place of the Supreme Court of Madras.

T. Muthuswamy Iyer becomes first Indian judge of Madras High Court

T. Muthuswamy Iyer became the first Indian to be appointed a judge of the Madras High Court, a decision that caused controversy at the time.

Construction of the Madras High Court building begins

Construction started in George Town, Madras, on the Indo-Saracenic High Court complex, designed by J. W. Brassington and opened in 1892.

Madras High Court building inaugurated

After three decades in temporary quarters, the Madras High Court moved into its Indo-Saracenic complex, inaugurated on 12 July 1892.

Kamudi temple entry agitation

Nadars entered the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple at Kamudi in 1897; the courts, and in 1908 the Privy Council, ruled against their right of entry.

Madras Agriculturists Relief Act eases peasant debt

A law to reduce the debts of indebted farmers in the Madras Presidency was brought in by the Rajagopalachari ministry.

De jure transfer of the French settlements to India

Once France ratified the Treaty of Cession, Pondicherry and the other former French settlements legally became part of India.

Jayalalithaa returns as Chief Minister after Andipatti by-election

After her acquittal in the TANSI and Pleasant Stay cases, J. Jayalalithaa won the Andipatti by-election and was sworn in again as Chief Minister.

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court opens

A permanent bench of the Madras High Court began functioning in Madurai to serve the southern districts.

Police and lawyers clash in the Madras High Court

A police action against lawyers on the Madras High Court campus led to an inquiry by former Supreme Court judge B. N. Srikrishna.

Jayalalithaa convicted in disproportionate assets case

A Bengaluru special court convicted Jayalalithaa, forcing her to resign; the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in 2015 and she returned as Chief Minister.

Jayalalithaa acquitted on appeal and returns as Chief Minister

Acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court, J. Jayalalithaa took the oath as Chief Minister for a fifth time.

Murder of Dalit engineering student Gokulraj

Dalit engineering student V. Gokulraj was abducted from a temple in Tiruchengode and murdered, in a case treated as an honour killing.

Udumalaipettai honour killing of Shankar

Dalit youth Shankar was hacked to death in a busy street in Udumalaipettai for marrying Kausalya, a woman from a dominant caste.

Death of M. Karunanidhi

Former Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi died in Chennai and was buried at Marina Beach after a High Court ruling.

Sathankulam custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix

A father and son detained by Sathankulam police during the lockdown died after being beaten in custody, causing national outrage.

Violence at Kaniyamoor school over student's death

Protests over the death of a Class 12 student at a private residential school in Kallakurichi district turned violent.

Custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar

Temple watchman Ajith Kumar died after being held by police in Sivaganga district over a theft complaint; the case went to the CBI.