Context:

The Haryana Government’s decision to enforce the use of ‘Hindi’ in all courts and tribunals across the state has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Background:

• Haryana notified that ‘Hindi’ should be used in all Courts and Tribunals of the state.
• The state of Haryana amended Section 3 of The Haryana Official LanguageAct, 1969.

Language is actually used in the court

• Under the Constitution of India, English is the language of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
• However, through Article 348 (2) of the Constitution, the governor of a state, with the consent of the President, can allow the use of the local language in the High Court.
• Section 7 of the Official Languages Act, 1963, provides that the use of Hindi or the official language of a State in addition to the English language may be authorized, with the consent of the President of India, by the Governor of the State for purpose of judgments, etc. made by the High Court for that State.
• So far, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar have taken this route to do use Hindi in their High Court proceedings.