Mathews J Nedumpara
President
National Lawyers Campaign For Judicial Transparency and Reforms,
101, Gundecha Chamber, Nagindas Master Road, Fort, Mumbai- 400 001
e-mail:mathewsjnedumpara@gmail.com.
Mob no.:9820535428.

28th June 2023
The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Nitin Jamdar,
Acting Chief Justice
High Court of Judicature at Bombay.
Mumbai – 400 032.

May it please your lordship,

Sub: Millions of pages of stationery wasted in the name of “Pro Forma” which could be saved by a click of your Lordship’s mighty pen.

From day one on which I entered the portals of the Bombay High Court I have been writing umpteen letters pointing out many a practice which serve no useful purpose but cause enormous hardship and wastage of time, money and effort.

I was taken aback to find the Bombay High Court – Original as well as Appellate Side Rules each running into more than 1000 rules, thousands of pages, which practically serve no purpose except causing incalculable harassment and agony. I, despite being fully conscious of my total insignificance in a city, far of my home state, I took up with various chief justices the need for a unified single high court abolishing the original and appellate side business. However, for the past more than a decade, nothing seems to have moved.

My eternal humble effort was to have an introduction of technology in courts including e-filing. More than a decade down the line it is becoming a reality – for example the use of pleadings on A4 paper on both sides. This has come as a great vindication of my efforts and this strengthens my belief that with sustained efforts, many things which are considered impossible are certainly achieved in the end. Video recording of Court proceedings is yet another vindication of my dream.

More than a decade ago, I addressed the then Chief Justice about the need to totally dispense with the practice of lawyers being required to filing along with every Petition a couple of pages in the form of a Pro Forma for the use of the Court. I have nothing against that practice, it may serve a useful purpose even, but what shocks me and gives me immense pain is that this leads to a wastage of thousands and thousands if not millions of pages of stationery which I feel is quite avoidable. Assuming that on an average two lakh proceedings are filed every year, and for service of notice to the respondents, at least 10 copies are taken, a Pro forma included leads to wastage of 3+1, that is four sides per application. Two lacs into four page is eight lacs which when multiplied by 10 copies leads to a total of eighty lakh pages being used just for including the Pro Forma alone.

It is laudable that the Chief Justice of India has taken up the cause of saving stationery, for the sake of our Mother Earth with all earnestness. I am sure your Lordship will also follow the Suit of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and with a tick of your Lordship’s mighty pen bring an end to the colossal wastage of stationery in the form of Pro Forma which is compulsorily part of every Petition which is to be filed.

There are numerous other simple and easy to implement suggestions which I would like to offer, as I used to do with all the past Chief Justices. I am sure your Lordship will find it possible to grant a short time for an audience with my humble self along with a few of my colleagues who are part of the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms.

Yours sincerely,

Mathews J. Nedumpara