Lok Sabha Question No. 3386 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Use of Hindi in Various Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Sumedhanand Saraswati, Manoj Rajoria, Ranjeeta Koli, Sanjay Seth

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3386

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 5 TH  August, 2022.

## Use of Hindi in Various Courts

## +3386. SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI:

DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

SHRI SANJAY SETH:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- a) the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  the  use  of  Hindi  in  various courts;
- b) whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  instructions  to  use  and  keep  the  court proceedings/verdicts in Hindi along with English, if so, the details thereof;
- c) whether the judicial work has been started in Hindi in several courts; and
- d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): Under Article 235 of the Constitution of India, the administrative control over the District  and  Subordinate  Judiciary  in  the  States  vests  with  the  concerned  High  Court. Therefore, use of language in lower courts is a subject matter of States.

Article 348(1)(a) of the Constitution of India states that all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court, shall be in English language. Clause (2) of the Article 348 of the  Constitution  states  that  notwithstanding  anything  in  sub-clause  (a)  of  clause  (1),  the Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorize the use of Hindi

Language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State.

The Cabinet Committee's decision dated 21.05.1965 has stipulated that     consent of the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India be obtained on any proposal relating to use of a language other than English in the High Court.

The use of Hindi in the proceedings of High Court of Rajasthan was authorized    under clause (2) of Article 348 of the Constitution in 1950. After the Cabinet Committee's decision dated 21.05.1965 as mentioned above, the use of Hindi was authorized in the High Courts of Uttar Pradesh (1969), Madhya Pradesh (1971) and Bihar (1972) in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.

Order  VIII  Rule  2  of  Supreme  Court  Rules,  2013  prescribes  that  'No  document  in language  other  than  English  shall  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  any  proceedings  before  the Court'.  However,  since  February  2019,  some  judgments  relating  to  certain  specific  subject categories are being translated into various Indian languages including Hindi. The translations can be accessed at https://main.sci.gov.in/vernacular\_judgment.

The Prime Minister in his speech delivered at the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices held on 30.04.2022 stressed upon the need of using regional languages in the proceedings of the Courts so that the common man understands the judicial process and feels connected with it.

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