Gujarat advocates lock court gates amid strike over new A4 paper, font rules
Advocates in Gujarat are abstaining from judicial work in protest against the implementation of directions mandating computer-formatted pleadings on a specific paper size using specific fonts.
Advocates protest in Vadodara on Thursday as an indefinite strike against the Gujarat High Court’s new filing rules gathers momentum across the state. (Express Photo)
Advocates locked the gates of the Vadodara district court on Thursday as an indefinite statewide strike against the Gujarat High Court’s new filing rules gathered momentum. The protest, which has been brewing since the high court issued the circular in April, intensified after the mandatory formatting requirements took effect on August 1, with bar associations across the state demanding that the circular be suspended or modified.
The agitation has disrupted proceedings in district courts across the state, with advocates abstaining from judicial work in protest against the implementation of directions mandating computer-formatted pleadings in specific fonts and font sizes. Bar associations contend that the infrastructure required to comply with the new norms is unavailable in several districts, particularly in tribal and rural areas.
The protest stems from a communication issued by Gujarat High Court Registrar General on April 15, 2026, forwarding a modified high court circular to principal district judges and heads of various courts across Gujarat for “necessary compliance” from August 1, after the implementation was deferred previously at the request of the bar associations.
“Lawyers have closed the gates of the Vadodara district court in protest. The court has mandated computerised applications. Earlier, even handwritten applications were accepted. Smaller bar associations like Chhota Udepur are not used to it as lawyers and litigants are not aware of the computerised system of fonts and font sizes. Even court officers do not have the fonts available. The Bar Council of Gujarat has written a letter to the Chief Justice on Monday, and we are hoping for a positive response,” Advocate Nimisha Dhotre, member of the Bar Council of Gujarat and Treasurer of the Baroda Bar Association, told The Indian Express.
According to Dhotre, the bar associations are not opposed to digitisation or uniformity in court filings, but the directions have been implemented “without first ensuring that district courts, advocates and litigants have access to the required software, fonts and printing facilities”. Dhotre added that lawyers practising in smaller districts say many continue to depend on handwritten pleadings or local typists unfamiliar with the prescribed font specifications, making compliance difficult.
In the remote tribal district of Dahod, too, advocates protested outside the court premises. Ajay Chauhan, President of the Dahod District Bar Association, echoed those concerns, saying advocates in remote districts were struggling with the implementation of the circular.
“Many advocates, particularly those practising in Dahod, are facing practical problems because the necessary facilities are not available locally. Therefore, all advocates in Dahod have requested that the circular either be amended or suitably modified. Many advocates also travel from distant places to attend court, and the required infrastructure and facilities are currently unavailable. So, advocates from Dahod district have abstained from court work until the high court amends, modifies, or suspends the circular,” Chauhan added.
The Bar Council of Gujarat has written to the Chief Justice seeking reconsideration of the circular. In a representation signed by Secretary Siddhi Bhavsar, addressed to Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal on August 5 through the Registrar General, the Bar Council of Gujarat has urged the high court to reconsider the implementation.
The representation, submitted on behalf of the Bar Council’s 23 elected members and various bar associations across the state, highlights several operational challenges faced by advocates. It notes that many documents have to be prepared and filed during the course of court proceedings, making it impractical to type and print them within the limited time. Bail bonds, exemption applications, adjournment requests and urgent applications often require handwritten particulars or endorsements obtained in court, the Council has flagged.
It further points out that trial courts in tribal and remote areas continue to face irregular electricity supply and poor digital infrastructure, while nearly 80 per cent of advocates practising in subordinate courts do not have independent office premises or computer facilities and continue to rely on typists.
The Bar Council has requested the Chief Justice to “keep the implementation…in abeyance until an appropriate technical solution is evolved and adequate infrastructure is made available throughout the state” and to “grant a transition period of six months” while also requesting to allow “the use of the regular fonts presently in practice” for trial proceedings and filing.
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The Bar Council has also requested the high court to “permit the continued use of legal-size paper, typewritten documents and handwritten applications, particularly in urgent matters arising before subordinate courts during the transition period”.
The circular, issued on the recommendation of the Gujarat High Court Rules Committee and the District Judiciary Rules Committee under Section 123 of the Code of Civil Procedure, mandates that A4-size paper be used uniformly in all jurisdictions for pleadings contained in petitions, affidavits, applications and other documents, as well as memoranda of appeals, orders and judgments in all district courts across Gujarat.
It further prescribed the technical specifications for every filing, stating, “The A4 size paper to be used as above shall conform to the following specification of paper and formatting style: Superior quality A4 size paper (29.7 cm x 21 cm) having not less than 75 GSM with printing on both sides of the paper with Gujarati Font – Lohit Gujarati/Noto Sans Gujarati/Noto Serif Gujarati, Font Size 13 and/or with English Font – Times New Roman, Font size 14, in one and half line spacing (for quotations and indents – font size 12 in single line spacing), with margin of 4 cm on left & right and 2 cm on top & bottom.”
The circular clarified that the new requirements would not apply to police papers, chargesheet, police reports, Forensic Science Laboratory reports, reports of the other institutions or authorities, original documents, etc.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
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