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The insistence on removing every harmless border, scanner shadow or photocopy edge appears to extend beyond the objective prescribed by the Electronic Filing Rules. This raises a question about how the legal system can simultaneously insist that filed documents must be true copies of the originals while requiring advocates to alter those copies by erasing portions of their contents. If a line drawn by a judge is removed, if a border appearing in a certified copy is digitally erased, if a tribunal’s markings or other official endorsements disappear during image processing, the document may no longer be an exact reproduction of the original.

The Kerala High Court itself regularly calls for original records from subordinate courts and tribunals. Those records inevitably contain dark margins, photocopy borders, judicial markings, endorsements, punched holes, folds and ageing marks accumulated over years of litigation. No one expects those original records to be cosmetically altered before they reach the high court. If the originals are acceptable in that condition, it is difficult to see why faithful digital reproductions should be rejected merely because they faithfully reproduce those very features.

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Certified copies derive their evidentiary value from being faithful reproductions of the original judicial record. When advocates are required to erase portions of those reproductions merely to satisfy an aesthetic requirement, the system risks insisting that lawyers alter documents whose authenticity depends upon their fidelity. Cosmetic compliance should never come at the cost of documentary integrity.

The registry’s practice thus creates a tension between procedural neatness and the evidentiary principle that filed documents must be true and unaltered representations of the source material. The Electronic Filing Rules, by prioritising fidelity and readability, appear to support the view that the removal of such markings is unnecessary and potentially detrimental to the evidentiary value of the filings.

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Advocates have expressed frustration that the requirement consumes disproportionate time without improving readability or reliability. The registry’s insistence on visual perfection contrasts with the stated purpose of electronic filing, which is to facilitate efficient access to judicial records, minimise delay, reduce costs and improve the administration of justice.

In summary, the Kerala High Court’s registry mandates the removal of lines, shades, borders and dark edges from court documents before filing, a practice that conflicts with the Electronic Filing Rules’ emphasis on faithful reproduction and raises concerns about the integrity of evidentiary material.

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