HC refuses urgent hearing in appeal on banners issue

The Madras High Court today refused an urgent hearing on an appeal against the order of a single judge banning the use of photographs or pictures of living persons on banners, flex boards, sign-boards across the state.
Justice S Vaidyanathan had on October 24 directed the authorities to ensure that photographs/pictures of persons who were alive were not depicted on banners, flex boards, sign- boards.
When an urgent mention was made by the counsel for Corporation of Chennai before the bench comprising Justices M Sathynarayanan and N Seshasayee that they were set to file an appeal against the order, the judges refused an urgent hearing, saying it would be heard in the regular course.

The judges also orally observed that several orders were passed by the high court on the subject from 2008 onwards that were not followed and thus there was no need for an urgent hearing.
The single judge in his order had said, "In order to maintain clean atmosphere in all the areas of the entire State of Tamil Nadu, and to avoid unnecessary drawings on walls of buildings/residential places, this court directs the Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu to ensure that...the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959, amended from time to time, are complied with.

"If at all any permission is given by the authority concerned for erecting banners, flex boards, sign-boards, etc, the authority concerned shall ensure that photographs/pictures of such persons who are alive, shall not be depicted by way of those banners, flex boards, sign-boards, etc," the judge had said.