Gujarat HC rejects plea to argue case in Gujarati

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has rejected a writ petition requesting permission to argue a case in Gujarati. A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice DN Ray, while dismissing the plea filed by an elderly litigant from Rajkot, reiterated that English is the official language of the High Court.

The bench noted that permitting arguments in Gujarati would disrupt court proceedings since all queries and final orders are issued only in English.

The matter arose after the High Court’s Legal Services Committee found the petitioner, a Class 10 pass, unfit to represent himself as he was unable to understand or communicate effectively in English.

Although the petitioner claimed he could argue his case in district courts, the judges pointed out that High Court hearings involve specialised legal terminology. The court therefore advised him to seek legal aid instead of appearing in person. DeshGujarat