Madras High Court puts mandatory e-filing in district courts on hold; lawyers withdraw protest

The Madras High Court on Tuesday kept in abeyance the notification mandating e-filing of cases in the district judiciary, pending further orders..The decision was communicated through a notification issued on January 6, 2026, with the approval of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava.The notification states that an earlier notification dated December 10, 2025, which required mandatory e-filing of all cases in district courts through the e-Courts portal, will remain suspended until further orders. As a result, mandatory e-filing continues to apply only to original petitions and cheque dishonour cases..Meanwhile, a writ petition filed by various bar associations, including the Madras High Court Advocates Association, challenging the mandatory e-filing notification was taken up by the High Court on Tuesday. A Bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice G Arul Murugan adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, noting that a workable solution would need to be found to address the concerns raised..The decision to keep the notification on hold came amid opposition from members of the Bar .Advocates had announced a demonstration on January 7, urging trial court lawyers from across Tamil Nadu and those practising before the Madras High Court to gather in Chennai and protest. Advocates across the State have been expressing concerns over the implementation of the e-filing mandate.However, following the issuance of the January 6 notification placing the requirement in abeyance, the protest did not proceed as originally planned..It was later announced that the boycott of courts across Tamil Nadu would be called off from January 9, 2026. Advocates who had travelled to Chennai for the proposed protest were advised to return to their respective hometowns..HT to Aswin Rome Pon Saravanan..[Read Notification].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.