Family Courts (Procedure) Rules, 1996 [R.O.C No. SS0-A/97/F.L No. SRO C-4/97.~In exercise of the powers confe… — THE FAMILY COURTS ACT, 1984

Family Courts (Procedure) Rules, 1996 [R.O.C No. SS0-A/97/F.L] No. SRO C-4/97.~In exercise of the powers conferred by section 21 of the Family Courts Act, 1984, the High Court of Madras hereby makes the following rules in supersession of the Family Courts (Tamil Nadu) Rules; 1987. These rules shall come into force with effect from the date of publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. 1. Short title and commencement _ (i) These rules may be called the Tamil Nadu Family Courts (Procedure) Rules, 1996. (ii) These rules shall come into force with effect from such date a8 may be specified by the notification issued under section 21 of the Act: 2. Definitions: S (i) In these rules unless the context otherwise requires, (a) #Act" means the Family Courts Act, 1984 (Central Act 66 of 1984) (b) "Code" means the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act V of 1908) ; (c) ' High Court" means the High Court of Madras (d) "Court means the Family Court established under section 3 of the Act ; (e "fudge" means the Judge O; as the case may be, the Principal Judge; Additional Principal Judge or other Judge of a Family Court appointed under section 4 of the Act: (ii) All other words and expressions used but not defined in these rules shall have the same meaning as given in the Act and in the Code of Civil Proce- dure, 1908 (Central Act V of 1908) assigned to them, aS the case may be. 3. Working hours of the Family Courts _ i) Working hours of the Family Court shall be the same as prescribed by the High Court for the Subordinate Courts (ii) A Family Court may hold sittings on holidays and outside normal work- ing hours if the Judge concerned considers it necessary to do s0 in the circum- stances of a case with prior notice t0 the parties O those representing the parties and t0 such