The High Court of Madras cause list — the daily schedule of cases listed for hearing — is published free on the court’s official website, hcmadras.tn.gov.in. Separate lists are issued for the principal seat at Chennai and the Madurai bench, and both can be searched by court number, case number, advocate name, enrolment number, judge name or party name. This guide walks through each step, verified against the live site in July 2026.
What the Madras High Court Cause List Shows
The cause list tells you which cases each court hall will take up on a given date, and in what order. For every listed case you will see:
- the item (serial) number — the case’s position in that court’s list for the day
- the case number — case type, number and year (for example, W.P. No. 12345 of 2025)
- the party names — petitioner versus respondent
- the advocate names appearing for each side
- the stage heading under which the case appears — admission, for orders, for final hearing, part heard
- the court hall number and the judge or bench sitting there
If your case is on the list, it is expected to be called that day in roughly item-number order. If it is not on the list (including the supplementary list), it will not be taken up.
Note the court’s web address: the Madras High Court’s main website now runs at hcmadras.tn.gov.in. The older domain mhc.tn.gov.in still hosts some services, such as the judgments and case-information system at mhc.tn.gov.in/judis, but the cause list, display board and case status pages live on the new site.
How to Check Today’s Cause List: Principal Seat (Chennai)
- Go to hcmadras.tn.gov.in.
- In the menu, open Services → Cause List → Principal Seat, or go directly to the Madras High Court cause list page.
- Pick the cause list date. The list for the next working day is normally available by the previous evening; the page shows a “Last updated” date so you know it is current.
- Choose how you want to pull the list. The page offers seven searches:
- Entire Cause List — the full list for the date, all courts
- Court No Search — one court hall’s list
- Hon’ble Judge Name Search — lists by judge
- Advocate Name Search — every listed case in which a given advocate appears
- Enrollment No Search — the same, using the advocate’s enrolment number
- Case No Wise Search — check whether one specific case is listed
- Party Name Search — find a listing through the litigant’s name
- Open the result and note your item number and court hall.
Madurai Bench Cause List
The Madurai bench publishes its own daily list. The steps are identical:
- Go to the Madurai bench cause list page (Services → Cause List → Madurai Bench).
- Select the date and use the same search modes — entire list, court number, judge, advocate name, enrolment number, case number or party name.
Cases are listed either at Chennai or at Madurai depending on which districts the matter arises from, so check the bench where your case was filed. An advocate practising at both seats must run the advocate-name search separately on each page.
Searching by Advocate or Case Number
The two searches most people need:
- By case number — choose Case No Wise Search, select the case type (writ petition, criminal appeal, and so on), enter the number and year, and the site tells you whether the case is listed for the selected date, and if so where. This is the fastest daily check for a litigant tracking one case.
- By advocate — choose Advocate Name Search (or Enrollment No Search for an exact match), enter the name, and you get a consolidated list of every matter in which that advocate appears on that date, across court halls. Clerks and juniors typically pull this each evening to prepare the next day’s board.
If you prefer a single PDF, download the entire cause list and use your PDF reader’s search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) with the case number or counsel name.
Reading the Entries and Tracking the Display Board
Once you have found your case, three details decide your day: the stage heading, the item number and the court hall. A case under “For Admission” is at the preliminary stage; “For Orders” usually means a specific application is due; “For Final Hearing” means full arguments; “Part Heard” matters resume first before the same bench.
On the hearing day, use the court’s online display board to follow live progress:
- Principal seat: display board — principal bench
- Madurai bench: display board — Madurai bench
The board shows the item number currently on in each court hall. If you are item 30 and the board shows item 12, you can estimate the wait; when the number nears yours, be present in the court hall.
Related e-Services on the Madras High Court Site
- Case status — track a case’s stage, orders and next hearing date at case status — principal seat or case status — Madurai bench.
- Judgments and daily orders — available through the court’s judis system on the older domain and through the national judgments portal linked from the site.
- Filing status and VC facility — the Services menu also covers filing status and video-conference hearing arrangements for both seats.
- All-India view — the eCourts High Court Services portal at hcservices.ecourts.gov.in offers cause lists and case status for every High Court, including Madras, from one interface.
For how cause lists work across all 25 High Courts — list types, terminology and verified links for each court — see our full guide to the high court cause list. Neighbouring courts have similar systems; compare the high court of karnataka daily cause list if you also practise in Bengaluru.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I check the Madras High Court cause list?
On the official website hcmadras.tn.gov.in — the principal seat list is at cause_list_mhc.php and the Madurai bench list at cause_list_mdu.php, both under Services → Cause List. Viewing is free and needs no login.
When is the Madras High Court daily cause list published?
Normally by the evening before the hearing day. The cause list page displays a “Last updated” date. Supplementary additions can appear late, so recheck on the morning of the hearing.
Can I search the cause list by advocate name?
Yes. Both the principal seat and Madurai bench pages offer Advocate Name Search and Enrollment No Search, which return every case listed for that advocate on the chosen date across all court halls.
How do I know if my case will be heard at Chennai or Madurai?
Cases are assigned by the district from which the matter arises. Your case papers and the case number reflect the seat of filing. Check the cause list of the bench where your case is registered.
What is the Madras High Court display board?
A live online board showing the item number currently being heard in each court hall — one page for the principal bench and one for Madurai. Use it on the hearing day to time your presence in court.
My case is not in today’s list. Should I worry?
No. It simply means the case is not scheduled that day. Use the case-status service to see the next listing date. Listings shift for routine administrative reasons.
Is mhc.tn.gov.in still the Madras High Court website?
The main site has moved to hcmadras.tn.gov.in. The older mhc.tn.gov.in domain still serves some applications, notably the judis judgments and case-information system, and links from the new site point there where needed.
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