Court Rules: Judgments Must Be 'One Language' in Uttar Pradesh

The Allahabad High Court has directed trial courts in Uttar Pradesh to write judgments in either Hindi or English, but not in a mix of both languages. This decision was made to ensure clarity for ordinary litigants in the state, following a case example from Agra.

The Allahabad High Court has issued a directive concerning the linguistic clarity of judicial documents within the state. On Friday, the court emphasized that while the trial courts in Uttar Pradesh have the option to compose their judgments in Hindi or English, they must refrain from mixing the two languages within a single judgment document.

The directive came from the bench of Justice Rajeev Misra and Justice Ajay Kumar while addressing a criminal appeal by Vaid Prakash Tyagi, related to a dowry death case. The appeal challenged the acquittal of the accused. The bench's ruling underlined the importance of comprehensible judgments for ordinary litigants in a predominantly Hindi-speaking state, pointing out that judgments like one from a sessions court in Agra serve as 'classic examples' of unacceptable mixed-language judgments.

The judgment, delivered on October 29, was directed to be forwarded to the chief justice and shared with all judicial officers statewide. The aim is to ensure future judgments adhere to the mono-linguistic standard, promoting better understanding and transparency in legal proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)