High Court allows lawyer to argue case in Hindi

The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed a lawyer to argue his case in Hindi, giving the official English language the go-by.

Advocate Das Goninder Singh filed an application before Justice Rekha Sharma demanding that he should be allowed to argue his case in Hindi.

Allowing the application, the judge heard his arguments in Hindi.

However, the arguments remain inconclusive and will resume May 19.

Singh in his written submissions to the court, though in English, said he had Hindi as the medium of education throughout his career. He will be able to express himself more effectively about the facts of law if he is allowed to argue his case in Hindi, Singh stated.

On asking Singh why his petition is not drafted in Hindi, he said: “Then my petition would not be allowed to be heard by the registry.”

Hindi is the official language in many high courts like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan but in Delhi it is English.

Earlier this year, the court had rejected the plea of a group of lawyers to argue their cases in Hindi.

“When lawyers argue in Hindi, judges do not pay attention to them. English has become a status symbol,” said Advocate Ashok Aggarwal, president of the Delhi unit of the lawyers’ association.

Moreover, Article 348 of the constitution provides for arguing court cases in English as well as in regional languages, he pointed out.