New Delhi: Setting aside convention, the Delhi
High Court has allowed a lawyer to argue a case in Hindi after
he pleaded that he could better convey his client's grievance
to the court in his mother tongue.
Justice Rekha Sharma had allowed last Wednesday to
counsel Das Goninder Singh to argue for his client Trilok
Singh Kakkar in a civil case pertaining to purchase and sell
of shares.
Asked by Justice Sharma in Hindi why he did not file the
application in Hindi, Singh said his application could have
been rejected at the filing counter itself as English is the
official language in this High Court.
Singh, in an application to the court in English, said he
has had Hindi as medium of his learning throughout his
educational 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, he stated.
Since many lawyers are not well versed in English, they
have to seek the help of English-speaking lawyers, the cost of
which has to be borne by litigants, making litigation very
expensive, Singh added.
In other High Courts like in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
Hindi is recognized as official language of courts but Delhi
has not adopted the practice in Hindi as yet, he said.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, April 09, 2010, 22:29