Orissa HC Issues Directions To Follow Uniform Font Size, Line Spacing In Preparing Fir To Ensure Better Visibility And Readibility

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Orissa High Court has recently directed the state DGP to follow a uniform pattern of font size and line spacing in order to ensure better readability.
• The font size to be followed should be 12 in Times New Roman with a line spacing of 1.5 while preparing FIR, charge sheet and other reports.
• The directions were issued by a single judge bench of Justice S.K. Panigrahi.

OVERVIEW

• While hearing a petition, a copy of charge sheet was placed before the court which the court stated was "neither legible in open eye nor visible properly because of very tiny font size of the text prepared by the Investigating Officer".
• The observed it to be practice which is quite often encountered by the prosecution, defence and court. It was noted that “such smallest font size causes wastage of considerable time and energy of the Court while reading the same.”
• Taking into account the readability factor the court has noted that the font size that have “higher readability quotient” shall be preferred.
• Inappropriate font size and irregular line spacing makes reading difficult and “causes retarded information processing in the mind”.

FUTHER DETAILS

• The court holding the matter to be a “serious issue” directed the DGP, Odhisha to inform all the police stations to follow a uniform pattern of font size 12 in Times New Roman and a line spacing of 1.5.
• Further, the court has ordered the DGP to file an affidavit before the court stating that all the police stations have been informed about the said instructions.

CONCLUSION

• The court in its order have highlighted the fact that “changing the font size, line spacing etc. costs almost nothing but it will have a great effect on readability quotient of the text we read”.
• If the chargesheet, FIR or any other report that is being presented before the court is not properly readable, it will only add up to difficulty in timely dispensation of cases and cause slow processing of information mentioned. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to follow a uniform pattern of font size and line spacing for better efficiency.

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