Gujarat High Court rejects litigant's plea to argue case in Gujarati

Gujarat High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a man challenging the refusal of permission to argue his case in person (party-in-person) in Gujarati language.

The petitioner contested a certificate issued on August 21, 2025, by the competent committee, which denied him permission to appear and argue without a lawyer. He argued that the insistence on conducting proceedings exclusively in English violated his rights and sought court permission to present his arguments in Gujarati.The court noted that high court proceedings are mandated to be conducted in English.

The Registry had assessed the petitioner and found him educationally qualified only up to 10th standard. It observed that he was unable to understand or express himself in English, lacked clarity in his thoughts, and could not adequately explain the facts of the matter in English. Consequently, he was deemed incompetent to assist the court effectively as a party-in-person and was advised to engage an advocate or approach the High Court Legal Services Committee for assistance.

Following the dismissal of his initial plea, the court directed the petitioner to seek legal aid from the High Court Legal Services Committee. The committee subsequently assigned him a counsel to argue his case.

Counsel for respondents defended the committee's decision, stating that the assessment was conducted in accordance with established law and rules. He emphasised that the petitioner could not insist on arguing in Gujarati, as he admittedly does not understand English.

Allowing arguments in Gujarati would necessitate an interpreter for the petitioner to follow and participate in the proceedings, which the respondents deemed inappropriate. Thus, the refusal of the party-in-person certificate was justified, the advocate submitted.