The Gujarat High Court has issued a new set of procedural instructions to address the difficulties faced by lawyers and litigants while curing defects during the filing of petitions and applications. The directions were issued following a meeting between the legal fraternity and Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, where advocates highlighted various challenges related to registry objections, listing delays, and document irregularities.
Under the new guidelines, the High Court Registry has been directed to assign a filing or stamp number to every fresh matter, provided that it does not contain any mandatory office objection as per the modified Standard Operating Procedure dated February 1, 2025. In cases where the petition or accompanying documents contain corrections, overwriting, deletions, or use of whitener without the initials of the advocate, party-in-person, or notary, the Registry will now accept a signed draft amendment from the advocate or the party. Once this draft amendment is submitted, the Registry must assign a filing number to the petition.
Additionally, advocates or parties are permitted to fill in the number of days of delay after the computation of limitation, thereby removing the earlier restriction that required complete details before submission. In cases involving faint or illegible documents, the advocate or party may file an undertaking stating that a typed copy will be provided to the Court when required. This change is expected to minimize unnecessary rejections due to minor technical defects or missing documentation.
The High Court has also made these new instructions retrospective, effective from September 15, 2025, corresponding to Instruction No. RJ/31/2025. This means parties can now seek approval for draft amendments even if previous requests were declined under earlier procedural rules.
These measures aim to streamline the filing process, ensuring that minor defects or technical lapses do not delay the registration or listing of cases. The directions reflect the Gujarat High Court’s proactive approach to simplifying court procedures and promoting greater efficiency and accessibility in the judicial process. By allowing flexibility and discretion in curing defects, the Court seeks to balance procedural rigor with practical convenience for advocates and litigants alike.
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