SC Ordered Colour Photos, Distance Details and Conceptual Plans in Case Records
The Supreme Court issued a direction requiring Advocates-on-Record to ensure that every photograph placed in petitions and related documents is in colour. The order was passed on November 21 in the matter titled Dinamati Gomes & Arn v. State of Goa & Ors. by a Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, SVN Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi.
The Court instructed the Registry not to move any case forward for listing if the material filed contains black-and-white photographs. The direction applied to all paper-books submitted henceforth.
In the interim order, the Bench stated:
“The Registry is directed not to clear any paper-book for listing where the photographs appended are black-and-white. Directions may be circulated amongst all AORs that unless proper coloured photographs, along with distance dimensions and supported by a conceptual plan, are appended, no such material shall be allowed to be placed on record, and the matter will remain in the list of ‘defects not cured’ till further orders.”
The Court also required that each set of photographs, particularly those depicting land or immovable property, must indicate distance measurements and be supported by a conceptual plan.
The Bench clarified that this requirement extended to both physical and electronic filings. If photographs were sent by e-mail or uploaded through the e-filing system, the Advocate-on-Record was expected to provide printed colour copies at the same time. The order added:
“If the photographs appended with the paper-book are filed through e-mail or e-filed, the learned AORs are directed to simultaneously submit hard copies of the coloured photographs also.”
These instructions were to be communicated to all Advocates-on-Record. Matters filed in violation of the directions would remain under “defects not cured” until the required documents were submitted.
