Yesterday, On 9th September, The Supreme Court instructed its registry to stop accepting black-and-white photographs in pleadings. A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that this long-standing practice often results in unclear, blurred images being attached to petitions and legal documents. The Court emphasized the need for clearer visual evidence, ensuring that only high-quality, colored photographs are submitted in future pleadings to maintain clarity and accuracy.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, On Monday, instructed its registry to stop accepting black and white photographs in pleadings unless prior permission is granted.
A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that this longstanding practice often results in blurry images being attached to petitions.
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The order stated,
“We have observed for quite some time that parties frequently submit black and white photocopies of photographs, many of which are blurred. The registry is directed to no longer accept such photographs without the Court’s prior permission,”
The Supreme Court issued this directive during the hearing of a land compensation and rehabilitation case from Daman and Diu.
Earlier, on August 20, the same Bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, criticized lawyers for using “misleading” mobile phone photographs in pleadings. This came after the Court noticed certain photos attached to a land encroachment case that appeared misleading.
Justice Kant remarked,
“Mobile se photo liya aur annexure mei laga diya (you took a photo from a mobile and simply attached it as an annexure). One day, I am going to pass a very harsh order against members of the Bar. All misleading photos are filed before this Court. This does not happen in High Courts,”
He further suggested that advocates guilty of such actions may face severe consequences, including the cancellation of their licenses.
He added,
“We need to do something. We would have to cancel their license if the Bar members keep doing this,”
With this new directive, the Supreme Court aims to uphold the quality of legal submissions and prevent the submission of substandard or unclear visual evidence in important cases.