While acquitting Armyman of drugs charges, Supreme Court expresses desire for numbered paras in judgments from High Court

In a recent judgment, BS Hari Commandant vs Union of India and others, the Supreme Court bench observed that if paragraphs in the judgments and orders of the High Court are numbered then it becomes easier to read and understand. The bench further suggested numbering paragraphs in all orders and judgments of the High Courts and Tribunals. This was suggested after the bench, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Krishna Murari, was hearing the matter and observed that the impugned judgment of the High Court was not numbered. 

In this context, the Supreme Court referred to previous judgments in Shankuntala Shukla v State of Uttar Pradesh and State Bank of India v Ajay Kumar Sood. The Court opined that “A judgment should be coherent, systematic and logically organized...” In the State Bank of India v Ajay Kumar Sood case, the top Court observed that “It is also useful for all judgments to carry paragraph numbers as it allows for ease of references and enhances the structure, improving the readability and accessibility of the judgments. A table of Contents in a longer version assists access to the reader.”

The Supreme Court bench stated that “It is desirable that all Courts and Tribunals, as a matter of practice, number paragraphs in all Orders and Judgments in seriatim, factoring in the judgments afore-extracted.” 

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