President Ram Nath Kovind has asked Courts across the country to provide translated versions of verdicts in local languages to enable the people to clearly understand the verdicts and their implications.

Kovind was in Trivandrum to take part in the diamond-jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court. Speaking as a guest of honour, he said that India was a country of varied cultures and people also spoke many languages. It is not necessary that a person approaching a Court of law might be well-versed in English.

“Verdicts by High Courts are invariably delivered in English, robbing many petitioners (who are not well-versed in English) of the opportunity to know the main features of the verdict. Arrangements should be made to translate verdicts in regional languages for the benefit of non-English speaking/knowing people.

“Similarly, requests for postponement of hearing in cases should be dealt with only on need basis so as to ensure that cases don’t drag for years together,” he concluded.