• On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the Kerala High Court has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam on February 21, thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish judgments in a regional language.

• The HC has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam.

• It used an Artificial Intelligence tool named SUVAS, which is developed by the Supreme Court, to translate judgments.

• Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS) has been developed for translating judicial domain English documents into vernacular languages.

• Ever since Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud took office in November 2022, there has been a collective push from the executive and the judiciary towards publication of judgments of High Courts and the Supreme Court in regional languages. 

• The proposal for the same had initially been mooted by the former President Ram Nath Kovind, who stated that a system could be evolved whereby certified translated copies of judgments would be made available in the local or regional language.

Use of English language in courts

• Article 348(1) of the Constitution of India provides that all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be in English language until Parliament by law otherwise provides.

• Article 348(2) provides that the governor of the state may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of the Hindi language or any other language used for any official purpose of the state, in the proceedings of the High Court having its principal seat in that state provided that decrees, judgments or orders passed by such High Courts shall be in English.

• The Official Language Act, 1963 reiterates this and provides under Section 7 that the use of Hindi or official language of a state in addition to the English language may be authorised, with the consent of the President of India, by the governor of state for the purpose of judgments, decrees, etc made by the High Court for that state. 

• No law has been made in this regard by the Parliament so far. Therefore, English continues to be the language for all the proceedings of the Supreme Court.

• The 18th Law Commission of India in its 216th Report titled “Non-Feasibility of Introduction of Hindi as Compulsory Language in the Supreme Court of India” has recommended that the higher judiciary should not be subjected to any kind of even persuasive change in the present societal context. The government has accepted the stand of the Commission.

• The use of Hindi has been authorised long back in the proceedings as well in the judgments, decrees or orders in the High Courts of the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

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