GHCAA to Governor: Allow use of Gujarati Language and Documents in Gujarat High Court Proceedings

Khushi Bajpai

Published on: 16 August, 2022 at 19:28 IST

In accordance with Article 348(2) of the Indian Constitution, the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) has filed a petition with Gujarat State Governor Devvrat Acharya asking him to specifically approve the use of Gujarati in addition to English in court proceedings before the Gujarat High Court.

It should be noted that this clause in the Indian constitution allows the governor of a state to approve the use of Hindi or any other language used for official purposes of the state in proceedings in the high court having its principal seat in that state with the prior consent of the president.

According to the GHCAA, a petitioner who approaches the Gujarat high court faces financial and other barriers to justice because Gujarat is not recognised as an official language.

The representation has argued that the requirement to provide an English translation of documents written in Gujarati violates Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and that providing translated copies of documents written in Gujarati is an expensive and time-consuming process for any litigant who wants access to justice.

Finally, the delegate asks the governor to act in accordance with Article 348(2) of the Indian Constitution, recognise Gujarati as the official language of the High Court of Gujarat, pay true homage to Mahatma Gandhi, and make the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav a genuine Independence Day celebration.

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