M. Alphonsal v. The Director School Education
Case brief
What is this about?
Madras High Court (S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan, JJ.; order by S.M. Subramaniam, J.) on 12.12.2025 dismissed C.M.P.No.22794 of 2025 in Rev.Appl. Sr. No.119172 of 2025, filed by M. Alphonsal under Section 5 of the Limitation Act to condone 338 days' delay in filing a review petition against the order dated 12.07.2024 in Writ Appeal No.2172 of 2021 (school education matter, Kanyakumari District; respondents include the Director of School Education, Chief Education Officer Nagercoil, District Educational Officer Thuckalay, and the Correspondent of St. Francis Xavier Higher Secondary School, Neyyoor). Held: explanation neither candid nor convincing; limitation substantive, condonation exceptional; long delay not condoned absent valid reasons; merits impermissible in such petition; Review Application rejected at SR stage; no costs.
What did the court decide?
The sole reason stated for the delay — that the earlier counsel did not communicate the copy of the Writ Appeal order and that the petitioner resides in Kanyakumari District — is neither candid nor convincing.