The constitutional provisions dealing with the language of the courts and legislation are as follows:
◇ Until Parliament provides otherwise, the following are to be in the English language only:
(a) All proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every high court.
(b) The authoritative texts of all bills, acts, ordinances, orders, rules, regulations and bye-laws at the Central and state levels.
◇ However, the governor of a state, with the previous consent of the president, can authorize the use of Hindi or any other official language of the state, in the proceedings in the high court of the state, but not with respect to the judgements, decrees and orders passed by it. In other words, the judgements, decrees and orders of the high court must continue to be in English only (until Parliament otherwise provides).
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◇ Similarly, a state legislature can prescribe the use of any language (other than English) with respect to
bills, acts, ordinances, orders, rules, regulations or bye-laws, but a translation of the same in the English
language is to be published.
• The Official Languages Act of 1963 lays down that Hindi translation of
acts, ordinances, orders, regulations and byelaws published under the authority of the president are
deemed to be authoritative texts. Further, every bill introduced in the Parliament is to be accompanied.
by a Hindi translation. Similarly, there is to be a Hindi translation of state acts or ordinances in certain cases.
