Judicial Administration and Language Policy: Supreme Court Clarifies Limits of Judicial Intervention

The Supreme Court, in a recent ruling, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought the establishment of a commission to facilitate the use of Hindi as an official language within the Apex Court. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant underscored a fundamental principle of constitutional governance: the distinction between judicial adjudication and administrative policy-making. The Court’s decision highlights the separation of powers, noting that the language of the Supreme Court is governed by Article 348 of the Constitution. This article stipulates that all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be in the English language until Parliament by law provides otherwise. By dismissing the petition, the Court reaffirmed that the determination of the language of judicial proceedings is a matter of legislative and administrative policy, not a subject for judicial direction. The judiciary maintains that it cannot compel the executive or the legislature to constitute commissions or alter established procedural frameworks through judicial orders, as such actions would encroach upon the domain of the other organs of the state.