Courts

The Court building is situated in a very ancient white monument building of French architect called “Court House” at Thiagaraja Street, Yanam to the next of Municipality building. The building consists of two floors. The ground floor is the court and the first floor is the residential quarters of the Judge. The building was renovated in the year of 1967 and inaugurated by Thiru S.L. Silam, the then Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Puducherry. Office phone no. is 2321293.

Yanam Judicial Magistrate Court is a very ancient court formed prior to the French domain i.e. before 1725 while Yanam was as a Dutch Colony. The Judicial Magistrate Court was existing then. Subsequently while this area came under the French on the reorganization of French domain in the year 1725 the same court has been converted as French Court under French Law as a Judicial Court. Both civil and criminal cases tried here. After Independence, this court was converted as an Indian Court as a Judicial Magistrate Court, Yanam in the year 1956, whereas, the Regional Administrative Officer of Yanam was the Judge of the court having both executive and judicial powers on civil and criminal cases.

After bifurcation of the judiciary, this court came under a separate Judicial Department of Government of Puducherry and under the administration of the Hon’ble High Court, Madras and it was termed as Judicial First Class Magistrate Court cum District Munsif Court.Subsequently under the reform by the Hon’ble High Court, Madras, the Yanam was upgraded to that of Subordinate Judge (Civil Judge-Senior Division)/Assistant Sessions Judge cum Judicial Magistrate of I Class in the year 2000. Now because of this upgradation, all the civil cases upto the pecuniary jurisdiction of Rs.5.00 Lakhs are tirable by this court, in criminal side, this court has got jurisdiction to try all cases upto 307 IPC except cases having death sentence. Further this court is empowered to deal with the motor accident claims, family cases, LAOPs( Land Acquisition of Puducherry) The present Judge is Mr. N.Vaidyanathan.He joined as sub-judge of Yanam on 04.06.2012. He worked in Tamilnadu and promoted as Sub-Judge before coming to Yanam. The present Asst.Government Pleader-cum Asst. Public Prosecutor is Thiru Majeti Natarajan. He joined in the year 1996.

The Judge of Yanam Court is the Chairman of the Taluk Legal Services Committee of Yanam. Taluk Legal Services Committee is having its members and a regular duty advocate will be periodically posted for attending the grievances of the litigants.

This court consists of a Bar Association having 10 members. At present the President is Thiru K.Ananda Kodanda Rao.

The staff strength of the Yanam court consists of 1 Sarishtadar, 1 Stenographer, 1 Senior Clerk, 2 Junior Clerks, 2 Copyists/Attendars and 3 Peons.

The present Hon’ble High Court Judge of Madras Thiru G. Rajasuriya had also served here as Judicial Magistrate, in the year 1982 and 1983.

Even the records from the year 1900 are available in the record section of this court.