CHENNAI: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed before the Madras High Court challenging the slot system for lawyer-client interviews at Puzhal Central Prison – I, contending that the arrangement severely restricts effective legal consultations.
The petitioner, Tamilazhagan, submitted that Central Prison I at Puzhal houses over a thousand sentenced prisoners. Under the new slot system introduced in December 2025, only 16 interview cabins are available for the entire prison population, with three slots per day allotted for lawyer-client meetings, each lasting half an hour.
According to the plea, the limited duration and number of slots are grossly inadequate. In a single slot, an advocate is permitted to interview up to five prisoners. With only three such half-hour slots per day, counsel are unable to take detailed instructions, discuss complex legal issues or prepare effectively for appeals and other proceedings.
It further pointed out that out of the 16 cabins, eight must be booked through a telephone system, while the remaining eight can be reserved in person at the prison counter. The booking system is frequently overwhelmed, he said, leaving many advocates, particularly those travelling from distant places, unable to secure a slot upon arrival. This results in a waste of time and resources and effectively curtails prisoners’ right to consult their lawyers.
When the matter came up before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, counsel for the petitioner, S Nadhiya, informed the court that a representation had been submitted to the prison authorities on January 12 seeking an increase in the number of daily slots from three to nine and the provision of additional cabins. However, no action had been taken so far, the court was told.
The Chief Justice directed that the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority be impleaded to assist the court in the matter and adjourned the case by four weeks.