In a bid to control environmental degradation and bring uniformity in the use of paper in its day-to-day work, the Supreme Court will accept petitions and affidavits only on A4 size sheets of paper printed on both sides from April 1, 2020.
Chief Justice of India S A Bobde had on January 14 directed the Supreme Court registry to use A4 size sheets printed on both sides for internal communications at all levels.
A new circular dated March 5, which was uploaded on the apex court website on Thursday, said A4 size paper will be accepted on the judicial side from April 1, with required specifications.
“It is notified for the information of all concerned that the Competent Authority has been pleased to direct that: With a view to bring uniformity about use of paper and printing thereon and to minimize consumption of paper and consequently to save the environment, superior quality A4 size paper…,” the circular said.
The circular, issued through apex court secretary general Sanjeev S Kalgaonkar, said from now onwards all the communication to the advocate-on-record will be sent through e-mails and SMSs and the registry is discontinuing the practice of sending such communications through hard copies.
Earlier, another circular, which had come into force from January 26, had urged everyone to be economical in the consumption of paper and to ensure that the quality of paper be such that the communication is clear to read when printed on both sides.
At present ‘legal size’ paper, bigger than A-4 size sheets, is used in the country’s courts. Judicial stakeholders raising environmental concerns have said printing only on one side and wide margins caused large scale wastage of paper in courts.
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In a bid to minimise paper consumption, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed that its Registry will use A4 size paper on both sides for all internal communications in the administrative side of the top court.
A circular, which is to come into force from January 26, clarified that all the pleadings, petitions, documents filed in the apex court Registry on the judicial side shall continue to be governed as per the provisions of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013.
“With a view to bring uniformity about use of paper in day-to-day working on the administrative side, to minimize consumption of paper and consequently to save the environment, Chief Justice of India has been pleased to direct that henceforth, the Registry shall use A4 size paper (on both sides) for internal communications at all levels in the Registry,” the circular said.
It urged everyone to be economical in consumption of paper and to ensure that quality of paper be such that the communication is clear to read when printed on both sides.
“Make sincere and earnest efforts to be economical in consumption of paper, by using the same on both sides and they shall bear in mind that the communications so generated should be legible on both sides,” the circular said.
“The concerned administration materials branch shall ensure quality of the paper sop the communication must be legible on both sides of paper. All concerned are therefore directed to strictly follow the above instructions. The controlling officers shall ensure compliance of the above instructions,” it said.
