NCLT Mandates A4 Duplex Printing for Nationwide Filings
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has announced a significant procedural shift by mandating the use of A4-size paper with double-sided printing for all submissions across its benches. This directive, effective immediately, aims to foster environmental responsibility and streamline filing practices within the tribunal.
According to the circular issued on September 3, all legal documents, including petitions, applications, affidavits, and related pleadings, must comply with the A4 duplex standard. This change is in response to longstanding calls from legal practitioners and litigants to update the traditional reliance on single-sided, legal-size documents, a practice rooted in colonial administrative procedures.
The reform initiative gained momentum after formal representations were made in November 2021 to the heads of the NCLT and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Legal professionals emphasized that standard A4 paper is predominantly used in corporate and governmental operations, while the outdated legal-size paper persists mainly within court settings.
This transition aligns the NCLT with the broader Indian judiciary. In early 2020, the Supreme Court of India endorsed the use of A4 paper printed on both sides to reduce paper usage. This was followed by similar administrative orders from various High Courts, including those in Delhi, Bombay, Allahabad, Karnataka, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand, permitting uniform duplex filings.
The shift to A4 duplex printing holds practical and environmental importance, particularly for document-intensive insolvency and company law cases. By adopting this standard, the tribunal expects to alleviate storage and registry challenges while also cutting printing costs for litigants.
