The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Srinagar has expressed concern over the practice of litigants filing petitions accompanied by uncertified photocopies of documents obtained from court records, indicating possible irregular access to judicial files.
Justice Rahul Bharti, while hearing a petition directed the petitioners’ counsel to produce certified copies of the annexures attached to the petition, except those documents that are already certified copies.
The Court noted that it had repeatedly encountered petitions in civil as well as criminal matters where annexures were merely photostat copies taken directly from court files, rather than certified copies. Such practice, the Court observed, suggests that court staff may be allowing litigants access to official records for photocopying purposes without following due procedure.
Justice Bharti remarked that this manner of procuring documents from court records raises concerns about improper access to judicial files and cannot be considered a legitimate method of obtaining documents.
Taking note of the issue, the Court called upon the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to issue strict instructions to the Presiding Officers of all courts in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to prevent such practices in the future.
The Court further cautioned that if similar instances are noticed again, explanations may be sought not only from the concerned court staff but also from the Presiding Officers of the respective courts.
Meanwhile, the petitioners were granted one week to place certified copies of the annexures on record, and the matter has been listed for further hearing on 23 February 2026.
Appearances:
For the Petitioners: Mr. Saqib Shabir, Advocate
