New Delhi: Should judgements in Supreme Court and High Courts be written in Hindi instead of English?

This question has come up before Law Commission of India which is likely to submit a report shortly on whether the language of the Supreme Court and High Courts in writing judgements should be changed to Hindi.

While according to Article 348 of the Constitution, the language of the apex court and HCs is English, a Parliamentary Committee had recommended that it should be converted to Hindi.

"The report on the issue will be submitted to the minister of Law and Justice shortly," Chairman of the Commission Justice A R Lakshmanan told PTI.

After the Law Ministry referred the matter to Commission Chairman Justice A R Lakshmanan, views of eminent jurists and retired Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts and senior lawyers were invited.

According to a draft prepared on the issue by the Commission, a bulk of the respondents were of the view that the language of the higher courts should not be changed to Hindi, as recommended by a Parliamentary Committee.

Eminent jurists, retired judges of the SC and HCs and senior lawyers were of the view that the language of the courts, particularly the Supreme Court and High Courts should continue to be English as the time was not ripe to change the language to Hindi.
Source : PTI