Delhi HC Dismisses Plea Seeking Amendments Of HC Rule To Enable Pleadings And Petitions In Hindi [Read Judgment]

Delhi High Court dismissed a writ petition which sought a declaration that the Delhi High Court Rules be declared ultra vires the Delhi Official Languages Act, 2003 to the extent they allow only "English" as the language in which the pleadings can be filed in the High Court, as well as a direction to amend the said Rules permitting the pleadings/petitions in Hindi by adding the words "or Hindi in Devnagri Script" after the word "English" wherever language of the Court is mentioned as "English".

The petitioner contended that the Official Language of the NCT of Delhi is Hindi as per the Delhi Government's Official Languages Act, 2000 and the Central Government's Official Languages Act, 1963. Therefore, the part of the Rules which make it mandatory for pleadings to be in Hindi is violative of the Official Languages Act, 2003 as well as the freedom of speech and expression, as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India.

The Bench comprising of Justice Singh and Justice Sistani, however, noted that the said High Court Rules are in compliance with Article 348 of the Constitution which mandates all proceedings in the High Court to be in the English language. Therefore, the court rejected the claim of the petitioner by opining that the said High Court Rules are not ultra vires the Constitution of India or the Delhi Official Languages Act, 2003.

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