A4-sized sheets for court work: Gujarat High Court directs Registry to place the issue before Administrative side for consideration

The Gujarat High Court earlier this month agreed to hear on its administrative side the issue of use of A4 sized sheets for Court work in the State. (Patel Jaydeep Hareshbhai v. Registrar-General, Gujarat High Court).The Court, on October 5, asked its Registry to place the PIL raising the issue concerning A4 size paper before the Chief Justice on the administrative side..The Bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J.B. Pardiwala was hearing a public interest petition moved by a law student, who argued against the practice of using 'legal size' (A3-sized) paper in court work..The petitioner pointed out that its use harmed the environment, because legal sized sheets utilised a greater amount of wood pulp as compared to regular A4 sized sheets. Further, printing on a single side of the sheet contributed to wastage, he highlighted..The law student also emphasized that the sheets were not only expensive but also difficult to procure and print on, which made their use a burden on litigants from underprivileged backgrounds.."... the cost difference between the two paper sizes is more than double, and the same casts an unwarranted and unnecessary financial burden on the litigants and pinches their pockets, and it is unjust and unfair, as it strikes a heavy blow upon the pockets of the poor litigants who come from weaker and underprivileged section of the society."The petition states.Drawing the Court's attention to the Supreme Court's directive for the use of A4-sized sheets for Court work, the petitioner urged the Gujarat High Court to consider doing the same. In addition to the example set by the Apex Court of our country, the Courts in the United States and the United Kingdom have also already shifted to using A4 sized sheets in official work, the petitioner submitted in the plea. .After hearing Advocate Ankitkumar B. Patel for the petitioner, the Court expressed its view that "the issue raised in public interest" merited consideration. The Court then proceeded to direct the Registry to place the matter before the Court's administrative side..If the Gujarat High Court adopts A4-sized sheets for Court work, it will join a growing number of Courts who have switched to using double-sided A4 sheets for court work. .Apart from the Supreme Court, High Courts at Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Kerala, and Calcutta have notified the use of A4-sized sheets in filing and court work. While the Karnataka High Court is hearing a plea moved in this regard, High Courts of Allahabad and Bombay have referred the issue raised through pleas to the Administrative Wing of the respective Courts..Read the Order: