Registry Not To Accept Hard Copies Of Illegible Documents: Kerala High Court Warns Of Disciplinary Action

The Kerala High Court last week cautioned its Registry of disciplinary action if it cleared any document or file that was illegible or if the words are not printed in sufficiently large font. 

Justice Amit Rawal held so while considering a petition where the font used in a document was as small as '8'. The Judge found that the document was illegible and that the Registry should not have accepted and produced before the Court the hard copy of such documents.  

"Registry is warned that in case such type of hard copies of writ petitions with illegible documents are placed before this Court, this Court will take disciplinary action against the officers who have cleared the file."

The petition was permitted to be withdrawn and the hard copy was returned to the petitioner's counsels with liberty to file fresh with legible copies. 

The Court also emphasised that there is a specific direction issued to the Filing Scrutiny Officers to ensure that the contents of the files are readable as per an office circular issued in 2020. The circular also directs these officers to ensure that in photocopies of documents also, the font size of letters is sufficiently large and easily readable.

Therefore, the office was directed to insist on production of a typed copy of documents which are otherwise not readable being too small font or handwritten.

Case Title: Ibrahim v. Regional Transport Authority & Ors.

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Ker) 354

Click Here To Read/Download The Order