Marathi Not Compulsory, English Also Language Of The Court: Bombay HC [Read Order]

The Bombay High Court has directed civil judge, senior division, Panvel, to accept pleadings in English language.

The direction came while a bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice CV Bhadang was hearing a writ petition filed by lawyers aggrieved by two circulars, dated August 1 and August 4, by the civil judge, Panvel.

The circulars directed all advocates and litigants to file applications, plaints, written statements, and replies only in Marathi language before the civil and criminal courts in Panvel. Also, according to the circulars, if any submissions are made in English language, then word-by-word translation of the same has to be submitted in Marathi.

If the order is not complied with by any advocate or party, no new suits, complaints, applications, written statements and replies would be accepted, the circulars stated.

The bench observed: “In our view, the said circular is patently illegal, since English is also the language of the Court. As such, we direct the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Panvel, to accept all the pleadings which are in English language. However, pleadings in Marathi language be also accepted with undertaking to furnish English translation of the same, if required.”

Thus, the high court’s intervention in this matter comes as a respite to advocates who were not well-versed in Marathi.

Petitioners had also contended that the circulars ignore the mandate of Section 3 of the Maharashtra Official Language Act, 1964.

Read the Order here.