Gujarat High Court CJ Revises SOP on Petition Amendments to Address Lawyers’ Concerns

(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

Ahmedabad, Oct 9 — In a significant procedural shift aimed at streamlining the filing process, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court announced in open court today that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing amendments to petitions has been modified. The change comes in response to persistent concerns raised by members of the Bar regarding delays and procedural bottlenecks.

“As directed by Honourable Chief Justice, all the Litigants, Stakeholders and Party-in-Person are hereby informed that if any interpolation/correction/ overwriting/ deletion by using whitener/ striking of is found in the Petition/Application, without initials of the Petitioner/Applicant and the Notary concerned, at the time of filing, the same shall not be accepted by the Registry.”

The Chief Justice clarified that henceforth, all proposed modifications—whether corrections, deletions, or interpolations—must be placed directly before the judicial bench rather than routed through the court registry. This revision is intended to eliminate the need for prior approval from the Registrar (Judicial), a step that lawyers argued was causing undue delays in the clearance of filings.

During the proceedings, advocates flagged issues such as overwriting and interpolation in case files, which were reportedly contributing to procedural hold-ups. The CJ acknowledged these difficulties and confirmed that the portion of the earlier instruction requiring draft amendments to be vetted by the registry has now been officially withdrawn.

The updated notification, issued today, marks a proactive step by the High Court to enhance efficiency and responsiveness in judicial administration. Legal practitioners welcomed the move, noting that it reflects a constructive dialogue between the Bench and the Bar in pursuit of procedural justice.

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