Allahabad High Court amends its Rules, allows use of A4 size paper for filings

The Allahabad High Court has shed the colonial practice of using legal/foolscap size paper for filings in favour A4 size paper, so as to reduce environmental costs and costs to litigants..On May 29, the Allahabad High Court (Amendment) Rules, 2021 were notified allowing the use of A4 size paper for all petitions, appeals, applications, etc to be filed in the High Court..The amended provision (rule 6) reads: "6. Paper to be used- Every memorandum of appeal or objection or application shall be fairly and legibly written or type-written, lithographed or printed on one side of A4 size paper (29.7 cm X 21 cm) having not less than 75 GSM and the formatting style of the text shall be as prescribed by the High Court from time to time.".The amendment comes as a consequence of a petition filed by Saumitra Anand, Sagar, Shubham Mishra, Anup Shukla and Vidit Jaiswal, all law students of the Faculty of Law, University of Allahabad. The plea was filed through Advocates Shashwat Anand and Ankur Azad..The Court, via a communication dated November 23, 2020, addressed to the petitioners and advocates in the said petition had informed that the demand notice dated July 28, 2020 of the petitioners, tendered in pursuance of the order of the High Court dated 27/07/2020 in the said petition where it held that the “the matter requires serious consideration on the administrative side”, has been accepted to the extent of use of A4 size paper for all judicial and administrative purposes in the High Court, Allahabad, and all other courts, tribunals and district courts subordinate to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad..The petitioners pursuant to July 27, 2020 order of High Court, had tendered a demand notice on July 28 and a subsequent reminder notice on October 15, 2020. Upon receiving no intimation in the said behalf, they had filed a fresh PIL in the High Court on November 19, 2020, for directing the use of A4 size paper with printing on both sides in all courts in Uttar Pradesh, which is pending consideration. However, owing to subsequent communication dated November 23, 2020 and the recent amendment being made, it seems that the said petition shall now be confined to the issue of allowing and mandating the practice of printing on both sides of the paper. .[Read Notification]