Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called "The (Tamil Nadu) Village Courts Act, 1888, " and shall come into force at once.
2. (2) It extends to the [whole of the State of Tamil Nadu except the town of Madras.] Provided that the [State Government] may by notification in the [Official Gazette] from time to time withdraw any village or area from its operation and cancel such notification.

[Repealed.]

Application of Act to suits or decrees pending All suits pending in the courts of village munsifs at the time of this Act coming into force shall be deemed to have been instituted under this Act, and all decrees passed by village munsifs before such date may be executed under the provisions hereinafter contained relating to execution of decrees passed under this Act.

When any village or area is withdrawn from the operation of this Act, all suits pending in a village court therein shall be heard and determined, and all decrees passed by such court and remaining unexecuted shall be executed by the civil court which, if the suit were about to be instituted, would have jurisdiction to try it.

Interpretation-clause In this Act, unless there be something repugnant in the subject or context- " Village " means in a permanently settled estate a local area for which at the passing of this Act there is a village munsif's court constituted under Madras Regulation IV of 1816 or for which a village court has been established under this Act; and elsewhere a local area recognized by [the State Government] from time to time as a village for purposes of collecting the land revenue. ["Village court" means the court of a village munsif appointed under section 7 or a panchayat court established under section 9.] " Village munsif" means the judge of the court of a village munsif established under this Act [and except in sub-section

1. (1) of section 16 includes-
   • (a) the president of a panchayat court ; and
   • (b) the vice-president of a panchayat court, exercising the functions of its president under this Act or the rules made thereunder]. " District Munsif " means the District Munsif within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the village court is situated : Provided that if the village is not situated within the local limits of the jurisdiction of any District Munsif, the Subordinate Judge, or if there be no Subordinate Judge, the District Judge within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the village is situated, shall be deemed to be the District Munsif : Provided further that if in any area the District Munsif does not exercise small cause jurisdiction and a separate Court of Small Causes has been established, the Judge of such Court shall be deemed to be the District Munsif.] " Movable property " includes growing crops as well as ungathered products of land.] [ " Prescribed " means prescribed by rule made by the [State Government] under this Act.] [ " Sign " with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions shall, with reference to a person who is unable to write his name, include " mark " with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions.]