The Hon’ble Delhi HC on 16th March 2021, Tuesday directed the use of A-4 size papers/sheets for filing petitions from 1st April 2021 as a replacement for the larger legal size paper before the Hon’ble High Court and in the district courts in Delhi.
The pronouncement was made in the sight of a November 2020 order passed by the Hon’ble Chief Justice directing the registry to treat as a representation a PIL seeking the use of smaller A-4 sheets for filing petitions instead of the larger legal size paper to prevent wastage and save trees.
An administrative order issued by the Hon’ble Delhi HC reads that the Hon’ble Chief Justice, on the recommendation of the ‘Rules Committee under Section 123 of Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (hereinafter referred to as “CPC, 1908”) which also look into Delhi HC Rules, 2018 and ancillary matters’ is pleased to issue the Practice Directions, which shall come into effect from April 1.
The order passed by the Hon’ble court also states that “A4 size paper be used uniformly in all jurisdictions for all kind of pleadings contained in petitions, affidavits, applications or other documents, etc, and all memorandum of appeals, orders, and judgments in the High Court as well as in all District Courts of Delhi.”
Besides, the order passed by the Hon’ble court also states instructions and passes that the printing/ typing shall be on one side of the paper till further directions in the matter. The Hon’ble court further mentioned, “A4 size paper (29.7 cm X 21 cm) having not less than 75 GSM with the font – Times New Roman, font size 14, in 1.5 line spacing (for quotations and indents – font size 12 in single line spacing), with a margin of 4 cm on left & right and 2 cm on top & bottom.”
The petition also specified that only one side of legal size paper is being used at present, with double space printing and an inner margin of about four centimeters on the top and left side, for filing writs in the HC.
The petitioner contended that this structure of filing is leading to wastage of paper and suggested the use of the smaller A-4 size paper with printing on both sides, one and a half line spacing and four-centimeter margin on the left and right sides, and a 2-centimeter margin on top and bottom, to save paper, trees, and environment in whole.
The petitioner also emphasized Uniformity in the legal system, to which the petitioner added that in the HC, the courts dealing with suits and other matters falling in the original jurisdiction were using A-4 size paper, but those dealing with writ petitions were still using legal-size paper and contended that this makes the legal system non-uniform.
Furthermore, it was also contended before the Hon’ble court that the use of one side of legal size paper was a “colonial-era practice” which need not be followed any longer.
