The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution urging the union government to recognize Tamil as the principal language of the Madras High Court and take immediate steps to permit Tamil in court proceedings. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who moved the resolution, said the Constitution provides legal avenues for states to use their official languages. Tamil is already the official language of Tamil Nadu under the Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956. The resolution cited Sections 4-A and 4-B of the Act, which provide for recording evidence in Tamil and issuing judgments, decrees and orders in Tamil in civil and criminal courts, tribunals, rent courts and revenue courts functioning under the high court. It also referred to Article 348(2) of the Constitution as a legal basis for the demand.