The Madras high court on Thursday warned that the lower courts may have to be shut down, and the subordinate judiciary will cease to exist if the Tamil Nadu Government continued to cite fiscal crisis to delay fresh judicial appointments.

A division bench consisting of Chief Justice B Subashan Reddy and Justice Raviraj Pandian recorded the high court registrar's letter to the state government, and issued a notice on the same.

In its reply to the registrar, the government suggested a continued freeze on fresh judicial appointments, citing the fiscal crisis.

In a strongly worded observation, Chief Justice Reddy said that the government should not think that the funds of the state are exclusively for its use. "The state government is not giving charity to the judiciary, and should discharge its constitutional obligations in the matter," the bench siad.

Following the court's observations, Advocate General N R Chandran offered to revert on Tuesday on this matter with the government's response.