The Allahabad High Court stated on Friday that trial courts in Uttar Pradesh must write their judgments only in Hindi or English and cannot mix the two languages in the same judgment.
A division bench of Justice Rajeev Misra and Justice Ajay Kumar made the observation while dismissing a criminal appeal filed by Vaid Prakash Tyagi. Tyagi had challenged the acquittal of a man accused of causing the dowry death of his wife. The judges noted that Uttar Pradesh is a Hindi speaking state and the purpose of allowing judgments in Hindi is to ensure that litigants can clearly understand the reasoning of the court. The bench said the aim is defeated if judgments contain a mixture of Hindi and English that many litigants may not follow. The court observed that the expectation is that the entire judgment must be written “in one language only”.
The bench underlined that clarity and accessibility are essential to judicial functioning. It stated that the reasoning behind a decision must be available in a language that litigants and the wider public can understand. The court added that using two languages in the same judgment can create confusion and may also affect the interpretation of the ruling. While confirming that trial courts have the freedom to choose either Hindi or English, the judges said this choice must be exercised consistently throughout the document. They reiterated that the use of both languages within a single judgment is not permissible.
With the appeal dismissed, the court directed that the principle of using a single language in trial court judgments should be followed across the state.
