In a firm push for clarity over compromise, the Supreme Court has declared that the age of black-and-white photographs in case records is officially over. A fresh judicial order has instructed the Registry to block any paperbook that dares to rely on monochrome images, leaving such filings suspended in the limbo of “defects not cured” until properly replaced.
The message is unambiguous: if a case depends on visuals, those visuals must speak in colour. Not only that — the images must arrive with distance dimensions and a conceptual plan, forming a complete and intelligible picture of whatever the Court is being asked to assess.
The bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant (now the Chief Justice of India), Justice SVN Bhatti and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, set the tone with a crisp directive: coloured photographs only, or the matter doesn’t move an inch.
And for those relying on the convenience of electronic filing, there’s an additional catch. Uploading the images online isn’t enough. Advocates-on-Record must also furnish hard copies of the coloured photographs, ensuring the physical file matches the digital one.
This isn’t the first time the Court has cracked down on monochrome submissions. Back in 2024, a similar restraint order barred black-and-white photographs unless the Court itself permitted them. The newly issued directive simply locks the gate more firmly.
