Haryana wants High Court judgments in Hindi

Chandigarh, Jan 3 (IANS) The Haryana cabinet on Friday decided to request the Governor to take the President’s consent to authorise the use of Hindi, in addition to English, for judgements, decrees or orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court pertaining to the state.

Article 348 of the Constitution provides that until Parliament by law otherwise provides, all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be in the English.

It further provides that the Governor of a state may, with the consent of the President, authorise the use of Hindi, or any other language used in the state for any official purpose, in proceedings in the High Court.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told the media after a cabinet meeting that the government had received a demand letter signed by 78 MLAs, the Advocate General and hundreds of advocates for the use of Hindi.

The Chief Minister said that the use of Hindi would help people of the state understand the entire judicial process in their own language, and would enable them to easily put their views before the courts.

The Haryana cabinet also approved the proposal of bringing an amendment to the Haryana Official Language Act of 1969, enabling the use Hindi for the purpose of proceedings, judgment, decrees or orders passed or made by the lower courts and tribunals, hge added.