Punjab & Haryana HC Issues Notice On Plea Seeking Use Of A4 Sheets With Double-Sided Printing Instead Of Legal Paper To File Court Documents

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has issued notice on a plea seeking directions to use A4 Size paper with print on both sides instead of legal size paper with single side printing, for all the pleadings and documents filed in the High Court and subordinate courts, to avoid wastage of paper and to save trees.

"Keeping in view the fact that the issue is of public importance and the optimum usage of paper", a division bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Vikas Suri issued notice to the High Court through Registrar General, Registrar (Rules), State of Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh administration.

The Court also impleaded the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association as a respondent through the Secretary.

Lawyers Vivek Tiwari and Anjali have moved High Court seeking directions to amend High Court Rules and Orders so that A4 size paper with printing on both sides can be allowed in order to reduce the wastage of paper and to make it environment friendly.

It has been submitted that "Legal Size Paper" or "Foolscap" which is currently prescribed by the High Court rules and the usage of which is prevalent in the High Court and Subordinate Court, is thicker and requires more pulp to prepare, as compared to A4 sheets, causing more damage to the environment.

One-sided printing on watermarked/foolscap/legal-size paper is a relic of the colonial era and has been in vogue since the prevalence of typewriters, which allowed printing only on one side, the plea added.

It was stated that watermarked/foolscap/legal-size paper was used to preserve files for a longer period of time, but with technological advancements, the paper quality of A4 size paper has increased and digitization of files and court records has begun, leaving no reason not to use A4 size paper printed on both sides, for court pleadings.

The Court also noted the submission that the consumption of paper is maximum in writ jurisdiction and only four High courts (Punjab & Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jammu& Kashmir & Ladakh, Rajasthan) across the country had not shifted to printing on both sides of the paper. 

While asking the High Court through Registrar General and Registrar (Rules) to file a response, the Court deferred the matter to April 25.

Abhishek Malhotra appeared for the petitioners.

Title: Vivek Tiwari & anr. v. P&H HC and ors.

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