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HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD Sheo Kinkar Singh …..Petitioner(s)

Versus State of U.P. and 2 others …..Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Sheo Kinkar Singh, Suryaprakash Sharma Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C., Chandan Sharma, Vijay Bahadur Maurya Reserved on 24.09.2026 Delivered on 28.10.2026 Court No. - 1 HON'BLE AJIT KUMAR, J.

HON'BLE GARIMA PRASHAD, J.

1. Heard Sri Surya Prakash Sharma, learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri Ashish Mishra along with Sri Chandan Sharma, who had been directed to appear on behalf of the High Court.

2. The controversy arose when, during scrutiny of the present petition, the prayer clause, which had been typed in italics, was not reported as a defect. The issue was not confined to the present petition, as similar inconsistencies in font, font size, spacing and the use of bold and italic type had been noticed in several matters. The Court accordingly called for an explanation from the officials of the Stamp Reporting Section and also sought the relevant Rules or administrative directions governing these aspects and the margins to be maintained in pleadings presented before this Court.

3. On 6 August 2026, the Review Officer, who had scrutinised the petition, submitted a written explanation stating that the italicised prayer could not be reported as a defect in the absence of any direction treating it as such. This Court, therefore, called upon the Registrar General to place before it the Rules or directives, if any, governing the font, spacing, signs and margins of petitions presented before the Court. The Court also noted that there was no prescribed requirement concerning headers, footers or bold lettering.

4. The Registrar General has placed the report before us. Upon examination of the Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952, the report states that Rule 2 of Chapter XIII, relating to the paper-book in a First Appeal, prescribes double spacing. The provision is reproduced below:

“2. The paper-book in a First Appeal shall, unless otherwise directed by the Chief Justice, be either type-written or cyclostyled on one side of stout full scape paper with double spacing and consist of a fly-leaf, an index and copies, transliterations or translations of the following papers, namely-

(a) Plaint;

(b) Written statement;

(c) Further pleadings, if any;

(d) Statements of parties or their pleaders recorded under Rules 1 and 2 of Order X of the Code;

(e) Judgment under appeal;

(f) Decree under appeal;

(g) Memorandum of appeal;

(h) Such evidence, oral or documentary or other papers as the appellant may wish to refer to;

(i) Memorandum of cross-objection, if any; and (j) Such other evidence, oral or documentary or other papers as the respondent may wish to refer to;

Provided that papers in Hindi written in Devanagri script shall not be translated;

Provided further that documents in Urdu shall be transliterated in Devanagri script.”

5. On the question of margins, the report stated that the requirement of maintaining quarter margins is prescribed by Rule 6 and sub-rule (4) of Rule 11 of Chapter IX of the Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952. The provisions were reproduced as follows:

“Rule 6. Water-marked paper to be used.- Every memorandum of appeal or objection or application shall be fairly and legibly written or type-written, lithographed or printed with quarter margin on one side only of Government water-marked paper;

Provided that the Court may, when considered necessary, permit any other paper of full scape or both sides of the paper to be used for the purpose.”

“Rule 11. Memorandum of appeal or objection or application to be accompanied by copies thereof :- (1) Every memorandum of appeal or objection and every application shall be accompanied by as many typed copies thereof as there may be parties to be served, together with -

(i) two extra copies in a Division Bench case, [to be supplied at once,] and (ii) one extra copy in every other case:

Provided that it shall not be necessa