The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a firm directive. It wants all courts in Punjab, Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to change their language. The High Court says they must stop using terms like "lower courts" or "subordinate courts."
New Official Terminology Mandated
In a circular dated December 24, 2025, the High Court laid down new rules. The circular appeared on the High Court's official website on January 14, 2026. It states that all courts below the High Court level should now be called "District Courts," "District Judiciary," or "Trial Courts."
The circular explicitly bans several old terms. It says the phrases "Subordinate Judge," "Subordinate Courts," and "Lower Courts" should not appear in official correspondence. This rule applies to both the High Court itself and all the district courts under its jurisdiction.
The only exception is if using the old terms becomes absolutely unavoidable. The circular notes this directive comes from the Hon'ble Chief Justice and Judges of the High Court.
Following the Supreme Court's Lead
This move by the Punjab and Haryana High Court is not an isolated decision. It follows clear instructions from the Supreme Court of India. In 2024, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan gave a similar order.
That bench directed the Supreme Court's own registry to stop calling trial courts "lower courts." It also said the records from these courts should not be called "Lower Court Records (LCR)." Instead, they should be referred to as "Trial Court Records (TCR)."
Another division bench of the Supreme Court, with Justices Oka and Augustine George Masih, reinforced this view last year. The court stated that calling any court a "lower court" goes against the spirit of the Indian Constitution.
A Shift in Judicial Ethos
The push for this linguistic change highlights a broader shift in how India's judiciary views itself. Former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud emphasized this point in 2024. He described the district judiciary as the "backbone" of the entire judicial system.
Justice Chandrachud argued that this crucial component of the rule of law should not be labeled "subordinate." He said sustaining the legal system requires stopping the use of that term. The district judiciary carries tremendous responsibility, he noted, and its language should reflect its importance.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court's circular is a practical implementation of this philosophy. By changing official terminology, it aims to foster greater respect for all levels of the judiciary. The directive ensures that language in legal documents aligns with constitutional values.
