121. Progress of cases:
The progress of each case, the stage at which the case is, as prescribed by the Court, and the link to the order passed on the date of each hearing shall be displayed in a chronological order on the dashboard of the Judges, Court staff, Advocates, and litigants.
122. Form of Orders:
Each order of the Court shall contain:
(1) the name of the High Court and location of the Bench;
(2) the case type and number;
(3) the names of the parties and their Advocates arranged according to their rank in the cause title of the case;
(4) the date on which the case was admitted;
(5) the stage at which the case is;
(6) the date on which the order was passed;
(7) details of the hearing, including submissions of the parties and the relief sought; (8) the next steps to be taken by the parties;
(9) the next date of hearing.
123. Pronouncement of Judgment:
(1) After a case has been heard, a judgment may be pronounced either at once or on a future date given by the Bench in open court on the day they reserve the case for judgment. The case shall be listed on the cause list on the given date.
(2) A case in which hearings are concluded and judgment has been reserved, shall be treated as disposed of on the date on which judgment has been delivered.
(3) Where a case is heard by two or more Judges and judgment is reserved, the judgment or judgments prepared by them shall be pronounced by any of the Judges who heard the case.
Provided that no such Judge is present, such judgment or judgments may be pronounced by such other Judge as the Chief Justice may nominate for the purpose. This shall also apply to the judgment of a Judge sitting alone.
(4) The judgment shall include the names of the presiding and authoring judges. Reserved judgments shall be titled so and shall contain the date on which the judgment was reserved, while those dictated in court or not reserved will be labelled as oral orders or oral judgment.
(5) Once the judgment is pronounced, it shall be signed by all the Judges who heard the case and made available to the Advocates, litigants and Court staff on their respective dashboards. Judges’ names shall also appear at the end of the judgment in uploaded and certified copies.
124. Decree:
(1) The Registry shall prepare a decree or formal order within __ days of the pronouncement of judgment.
(2) The decree shall bear the same date as the judgment and shall be drawn up in accordance with the judgment.
(3) The decree shall also contain a memorandum of costs awarded by the Court.
(4) The draft decree shall be made available to the Advocates and the litigants for examination on their dashboards. Advocates shall also be notified digitally that the draft decree is available.
(5) Advocates shall have __ days from the date on which the draft decree has been made available to them, to raise any objections to it. If no objections are raised within __ days, the Registry shall assume that there are no objections and shall prepare the final decree.
(6) The objections raised shall be placed before the same Bench which had passed the final judgment, for consideration.
Provided that the Chief Justice may nominate another Judge to consider the objections to the decree if the Judge(s) who passed the final judgment are unavailable for more than __ days since the objections were raised.
(7) The decree, once finalised, shall be signed by the Registrar.
(8) Under no circumstances shall any judgment, order or decree, passed or made by a Judge(s) be altered, or varied in any particulars by the Registry, except under an order of the Judge(s) in writing, who passed or made such judgment, order or decree. In such a case, the Registrar shall incorporate the amendment in the original under their signature.
125. Certified Copies for Parties to a Case:
(1) Each party to a case shall be entitled to only one printed certified copy of the final order/judgment and decree once the case is disposed of. The rest of the documents, including all the orders passed in the case, shall be available on their dashboard for download. All orders, judgments and decrees shall also be publicly available on the eCourts website.
Provided that the parties requiring certified copies of any document other than the final order/judgment or decree may apply for them through the High Court website, and shall be provided with authenticated copies free of cost.
(2) The Registry/copying branch shall prepare the copies within __ days of receiving the application.
(3) The Advocates and parties shall be digitally notified once the printed certified copies are prepared.
(4) The Advocates or parties shall take the printed certified copies from the Court within __ days of their preparation. The printed certified copies shall be destroyed, if not taken, within __ days. The Advocates and parties shall be required to make a fresh application and repay the fee for the printed certified copies after the lapse of the prescribed ___ days.
Provided that an Advocate or party unable to collect the printed certified copies may make an application to the Registrar within the prescribed __ days, with reasons for the same, and request an extension to take the printed certified copies.
(5) Parties to a criminal case and Advocates representing the union or state governments shall not be required to pay any fee for their printed certified copy. Any party to a criminal case intending to apply for special leave of the Supreme Court in criminal proceedings shall be provided with a printed certified copy free of cost.
(6) Parties in prison shall be entitled to printed certified copies of all documents in a case, including all orders, pleadings and evidence through their Advocate. The printed certified copies shall be provided free of charge if the party depends on legal aid.
126. Authenticated Copies for Third Parties:
(1) Third parties may apply for authenticated copies of pleadings and all documents and depositions of witnesses made or exhibited in the said proceeding in the prescribed format.
(2) Third parties shall only be provided with authenticated copies and shall be required to pay a nominal amount for the service, as prescribed by the High Court.
127. Mark of a Certified Copy:
Every printed or electronic certified copy issued by the High Court shall be certified by the High Court Registry to be a true and accurate copy of the original, and shall have a unique mark of the High Court.
128. Confidential Information:
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Chapter no party or person shall be entitled as of right to apply for and receive copies of or extracts from any any confidential document or of any document produced before the Court, which the Court considers to be of a confidential nature or the publication of which the Court considers to be not in the interest of the public, except under and in accordance with an order specially made by the Chief Justice or by the Court.
129. Authenticated Copies:
The High Court shall accept authenticated copies in cases of appeals, revisions or references. There shall be no need for physical certified copies unless the Court specifies due to reasonable doubt regarding the authenticated copies.