Chennai: The Madras High Court has issued a circular mandating that no judicial officers in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry must accept gift hampers, sweet boxes or cracker boxes during the festive seasons, IANS reported.
The court noted that there were officers who were accepting such gifts from third parties during festivals; the Registrar General of the Madras High Court’s January 11 circular stated that such acts bring disrepute to the entire judiciary.
The common term judicial officers include district judges and subordinate judges such as civil judges and magistrates.
The fresh circular appears when the Pongal festival arrives, which is celebrated by both the state and the UT.
The top court of Tamil Nadu will reopen after the Pongal holidays on January 19.