[3][Tamil Nadu Act 39 of 1956][4] [23rd January, 1957] An Act to provide for the adoption of Tamil as the language to be used
for the official purposes of the [5][State
of Tamil Nadu]. Whereas the Constitution enables the Legislature of a State by law
to adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State as the language
to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the State and to
prescribe any language other than he English language for use in Bills, Acts,
Ordinances, Orders, rubs, regulations and bye-laws; Be it enacted in he Seventh Year of the Republic of India as
follows. (1) This Act may be
called the [6][Tamil Nadu] Official Language Act, 1956. (2) It extends to
the whole of the [7][State
of Tamil Nadu]. The official
language of the [8][State
of Tamil Nadu] shall be Tamil. Notwithstanding
anything in Section 2, and without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 346
and 347 of the Constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for
all the official purposes of the State for which it was being used before the
commencement of this Act until the State Government, by notification under
Section 4, otherwise direct in respect of any official purpose specified in
such notification. The State
Government may by notification issued from time to time, direct that Tamil
shall be used in respect of such official purposes as may be specified in the
notification. 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 sub-ordinate 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.] (1) 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), and subject to the provisions of sub-section (2),
Tamil shall be the language of, all. (i) civil courts
sub-ordinate to the High Court; (ii) criminal courts
sub-ordinate to the High Court; (iii) tribunals; and (iv) rent courts and
revenue courts, for the purpose of writing judgments, decrees and orders: Provided that
the Presiding Officer of any such court or tribunal may, in writing judgments,
decrees and orders 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 write judgments, decrees and orders
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 covets or revenue courts, or (ii) any Presiding
Officer of any such court, to write judgments and orders in English in such
circumstances and for such period as may be specified in such order. (2) The provisions
of sub-section (1) shall come into, force on such date as the State Government
may, by notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed in respect
of. (i)
civil courts sub-ordinate to the
High Court; (ii)
criminal courts sub-ordinate to
the High Court; (iii)
tribunals; and (iv)
rent courts and revenue Courts.] The language to
be used. (i) in Bills introduced
in, or amendments thereto to be moved in, or Acts passed by, the legislature of
the [11][State of Tamil Nadu], (ii) in Ordinances
promulgated Under Article 213 of the Constitution, (iii) in orders,
rules, regulations and bye-laws issued by the State Government under the
Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the
State, shall be Tamil on and from such date as the State Government may, by
notification, specify: Provided that
the State Government may appoint different dates in respect of the different
items referred to in clauses (i) to (iii). All
notifications issued under Sections 4 and 5 shall, as soon as possible after
they are issued, be placed on the table of both the Houses of the State
Legislature and shall be subject to such modifications by way of amendments or
repeal as the Legislative Assembly may make within fourteen days on which the
House actually sits either in the same session or in more than one session. [1]
These words were substituted for the word “Madras” by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation
of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws (Second
Amendment) Order, 1969. [2]
Received the assent of the Governor on the 19th January, 1957, first published
in the Fort St. George Gazette on the 23rd January, 1957) [3]
These words were substituted for the word “Madras” by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation
of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws (Second
Amendment) Order, 1969. [4]
For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Fort St. George Gazette, Part IV-A,
Extraordinary, dated the 21st December, 1956, pages 280-281. This Act was extended to the added
territories by Section 3 of, and the first Schedule to, the Tamil Nadu (Added
Territories) Extension of Laws Act, 1962 (Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1962), repealing
the corresponding law in force in those territories. [5]
This expression was substituted for the expression “State of Madras” by the
Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu
Adaptation of Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 1969. [6]
These words were substituted for the word “Madras” by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation
of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws (Second
Amendment) Order, 1969. [7]
This expression was substituted for the expression “State of Madras” by the
Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu
Adaptation of Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 1969. [8]
This expression was substituted for the expression “State of Madras” by the
Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu
Adaptation of Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 1969. [9]
This section was inserted by Section 2 of the Language (Amendment) Act, 1976
(Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1976). [10]
This section was inserted by Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Official 1 Language
(Amendment) Act, 1976 (Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1976). [11]
This expression was substituted for the expression “State of Madras” by the
Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws Order, 1969, as amended by the Tamil Nadu
Adaptation of Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 1969.[1][Tamil Nadu] Official Language Act, 1956[2]