‘Write clearly or have the order typed’: Allahabad High Court’s directive – Judicial officers should be sensitized

The Allahabad High Court recently directed the Registrar General to issue fresh instructions to all the District Judges to sensitize the judicial officers under their jurisdiction to write the order sheets in legible handwriting or get them typed.

The bench of Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deswal gave this direction while hearing the bail plea filed by Babbu alias Haider in the 2018 attempt to murder case.

Although the Court eventually granted bail to the petitioner, it objected to the quality of the order sheet prepared by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Baghpat.

Following the previous order of the High Court, the trial judge submitted a report admitting that he was fully aware of the previous Coordinate Bench order [passed in Application u/s 482 No. 32490 of 2023] directing for writing of orders in legible handwriting.

Despite this, the High Court found that the order sheet in this case was written in illegible handwriting.

Justice Deswal described this action as a clear violation and a clear case of disregard of the High Court’s order. However, he refrained from taking any coercive administrative action at this stage.

Justice Deswal recorded in the order,

“Though this is a clear case of disregard of the order of this Court, this Court refrains from making any harsh remarks against the present Additional District and Sessions Judge, Court No. 1, Baghpat. It is hoped that she will be more careful in future.”

However, to prevent such incidents, the Court directed the Registrar General to re-issue the order of the Coordinate Bench to all the District Judges.

Let us inform you that in the order passed by the High Court in 2023, the following direction was given by the Single Judge:

“The Registrar General is, therefore, directed to issue a circular along with a photocopy of this order to all District Judges, Principal Judges, Family Courts and other Courts subordinate to the High Court to ensure that the orders are typed on the order sheets in the courts of all judicial officers. If, due to unavoidable circumstances, typing is not practically possible, the orders should be written in neat handwriting which is easily legible to all.”

Considering the merits of the case and keeping in mind that the applicant had been granted bail earlier and had disclosed his criminal history, the High Court directed that he be released on bail.

Earlier, in 2021, the Allahabad High Court had observed that it is the duty of the Peshkar/Court Readers to write the Court order clearly, failing which it may be treated as misconduct.