Delhi HC to take final call soon on use of both sides of A4 paper for judicial work

The submission was made before a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Yashwant Varma on Friday by the high court administration in response to a petition seeking a direction to the court registry and all subordinate courts in the national Capital to mandate the use of both sides of the pages for all pleadings and annexures.

The court, in the order, recorded, “the Rules Committee has resolved to use A4 size paper (with) printing on both the sides in respect of all the judicial work, and ten days’ time is required to take a final decision in the matter”. The full court is to approve and take a final decision in the matter, the court was told.

In March 2021, the high court on the administrative side ordered the use of A4-size sheets of paper uniformly in all jurisdictions, in all kinds of pleadings contained in petitions, affidavits, applications or other documents as well as in memorandum of appeals, orders and judgments of the high court as well as in all district courts of Delhi, but whether to use the paper type on both sides is pending a final decision.

Advocate Virag Gupta, appearing for the petitioner – the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change – on Friday submitted that the petition also seeks a direction to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice to issue an advisory regarding the use of double-sided pages in all courts.

However, the court said that it cannot take a decision with respect to other high courts. Gupta submitted that the plea does not seek a direction to other high courts. The bench has now listed the case for hearing on October 11.

A division bench headed by then acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi had on April 25 ordered the Centre to examine the suggestion of issuing a circular to all high courts regarding the use of A4-size sheets of paper on both sides “to save the environment and also to save space.”