Trial Courts Cannot Mix Hindi and English in Judgments: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court held that trial courts in Uttar Pradesh must write judgments either wholly in Hindi or wholly in English, and cannot combine both languages within the same decision.

The Bench observed that bilingual judgments undermine the statutory objective of employing Hindi in a predominantly Hindi-speaking state and impede litigants’ ability to comprehend judicial reasoning.

The Court clarified that quotations from Supreme Court or High Court precedents may be reproduced in the original language, but corresponding Hindi translations must be provided to maintain clarity.

The ruling was directed to be circulated to all judicial officers for uniform compliance across subordinate courts.