📷 Image Credits: Indian Legal News
The Union Government defended the Hindi names of the three new criminal laws in the Madras High Court on July 3, 2024. The response came in a plea seeking to challenge the constitutionality of the Hindi names. Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan informed the bench that the parliament had named the new laws based on its own wisdom, and unless proven to be inherently illegal or unconstitutional, they should not be interfered with.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that according to Article 348 of the Constitution, all authoritative text should be in English. He highlighted that the names of the new laws, considered authoritative text, should also be in English for the convenience of lawyers and the public. However, the ASG countered by stating that the names were in English letters and with time, people would become familiar with them. He emphasized that the names of the laws do not impact anyone’s fundamental rights, thus not warranting court intervention.
Furthermore, the ASG disputed the interim relief sought by the petitioner to restrain the Home Secretary from implementing the new laws. The court advised against pushing for interim relief and noted a similar petition pending in the Kerala High Court. The case, titled B Ramkumar Adityan v Cabinet Secretary and Others (WP 17877 of 2024), was adjourned by the court awaiting the proceedings in the Kerala High Court.
