Supreme Court Deplores Poor English Translation Of Trial Court Judgment; Calls For Greater Care

In a recent order, the Supreme Court expressed strong dissatisfaction over the quality of English translation of a trial court judgment, emphasising the need to convey the true meaning and spirit of the original language.

A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, while disposing of a civil appeal, noted that the translation of the judgment of the Civil Court into English failed to accurately convey the meaning and spirit of the original text. The Court observed that in legal matters, “words are of indispensable importance” and that “each word, every comma has an impact on the overall understanding of the matter.”

The bench underscored that meticulous care must be taken to ensure that translations truly reflect the substance and intent of the original language, so that appellate courts can fully comprehend the reasoning and findings of the lower courts.

“We record our dissatisfaction with the manner in which the judgment of the learned Civil Court was translated into English,” the Court said.

"In matters of law, words are of indispensable importance. Each word, every comma has an impact on the overall understanding of the matter. Due care has to be taken to ensure that the true meaning and spirit of the words in the original language are translated into English for the Courts in appeal to comprehend what had transpired below," the Court said.

The Court also noted that this was not an isolated concern. Referring to a recent order dated March 18, 2025, in Chairman Managing Committee & Anr. v. Bhaveshkumar Manubhai Parakhia & Anr., the bench pointed out that a coordinate bench had similarly flagged issues regarding inaccurate translations of judicial documents.

Case : Zoharbee and another v. Imam Khan (D) through LRS and others

Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 1014

Click here to read the judgment