The Supreme Court recently issued directions requiring Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) to make sure that photographs in the paper-books (petitions and other documents) of cases filed before the top court are coloured photos, not black-and-white images [Dinamati Gomes & Arn v. State of Goa & Ors].
The directive was part of an interim order passed in a property dispute. The Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant (now Chief Justice of India), SVN Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on November 21.
It states that if photographs submitted henceforth in any case file are in black and white, the Registry is not to clear the matter for listing.
The Bench also directed that every set of photographs (possibly referring to photos of land or immovable property sites) must include distance dimensions and be supported by a conceptual plan.
"The Registry is directed not to clear any paper-book for listing where the photographs appended are black-and-white. Directions may be circulated amongst all AORs that unless proper coloured photographs, along with distance dimensions and supported by a conceptual plan, are appended, no such material shall be allowed to be placed on record, and the matter will remain in the list of ‘defects not cured’ till further orders," the Court said.
If photographs are filed by e-mail or uploaded through the e-filing portal, AoRs must simultaneously submit hard copies of the colour photographs, the Court added.
"If the photographs appended with the paper-book are filed through e-mail or e-filed, the learned AORs are directed to simultaneously submit hard copies of the coloured photographs also," the order states in this regard.
[Read Order]