Certified, official or machine translation in Indian courts

The status of a translation depends on the applicable court rule and on who prepares, certifies or agrees to it. An official translation is prepared through the recognised court translation route. Where a court rule permits an advocate’s certificate or a party’s affidavit, that is a separate route. Machine translation provides a draft. The software does not itself certify its accuracy.

What does “official translation” mean in an Indian court?

For the Supreme Court, Order VIII identifies translations made, certified or agreed through the permitted routes. The Delhi and Bombay rules separately specify official and other accepted translations. Use the applicable rule, not the label a translation service uses.

The Supreme Court Rules, 2013 say every document that needs translating “shall be translated by a translator appointed or approved and notified by the Court”. A proviso lets the Court accept a translation agreed to by both parties, or one certified as true by a translator the Court has appointed or approved. The same Rules list “application for exemption from filing official translation” among the matters the Registrar may decide. (Supreme Court Rules, 2013, Order VIII rule 3 and Order V rule 1)The Court’s Handbook describes a Translation Cell that has documents translated by translators on the Registry’s panel, with the party depositing the estimated cost. (Supreme Court Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure)

The Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018 accept a translation “prepared by an official translator of the Court”. They also accept one from an official translator of a body recognised by the Court, the Central Government or a State Government. (Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018, Chapter III rule 5)The Bombay High Court Appellate Side Rules separate “official translations” from all others when they set out what a writ petition must annex. (Bombay High Court Appellate Side Rules, Chapter XVII, rule 2)

What is a true translation certificate, and who can sign one?

A true translation certificate affirms that the translated text faithfully renders the identified original. Who may sign it depends on the court. The following rules identify the permitted routes:

Three practical points follow.

First, the Supreme Court’s Order VIII rule 2 does not list an advocate’s certificate alone as an independent route. Use a translation that satisfies the Rules, or seek the appropriate exemption. See exemption from filing official translation. (Supreme Court Rules, 2013)

Second, the Delhi rule names the advocate. If the translation is certified by another advocate who is not engaged in the case, the engaged advocate must authenticate that certification. The Delhi Rules also say that, except with leave of the Court, a document not in English is not read or received in evidence unless it is translated in accordance with the Rules. (Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018, Chapter III rule 5 and Chapter XI rule 34)

Third, the Bombay Appellate Side writ rules allow an affidavit route and a specific concession for Marathi documents. Our guide on Bombay High Court and Marathi documents explains these provisions. Our guide on translation requirements in Indian courts covers the national framework. (Bombay High Court Appellate Side Rules, Chapter XVII)

A useful certificate identifies the original document and pages, the source and target languages, and the certifier’s name and capacity. It carries the signature and date. An advocate should include enrolment particulars. Follow any court format that is prescribed. Make the statement of accuracy only after checking the complete translation against the original.

Is there such a thing as a sworn translation in India?

A request for a sworn translation must be matched to the receiving authority’s requirements. Under Order VIII rule 4 of the Supreme Court Rules, translators must take an oath or affirmation before acting. That court-specific requirement does not make every commercial translator acceptable for every Indian court or foreign authority. (Supreme Court Rules, 2013, Order VIII rule 4)

For Bombay Appellate Side writ petitions, the applicant’s affidavit affirming the truth of a translation is one permitted route. For foreign use, establish whether the receiving authority requires an affidavit, notarial verification, or a translator on an approved list. (Bombay High Court Appellate Side Rules, Chapter XVII)

Can a notary certify a translation?

Yes, for notarial purposes. The Notaries Act, 1952 lets a notary “translate, and verify the translation of, any document from one language into another”. An act is a notarial act only when the notary does it under their signature and official seal. (Notaries Act, 1952, section 8)

Whether a court accepts a notarised translation is a separate question. Notaries are not named in the Supreme Court, Delhi or Bombay rules above. Check the court’s own rules first.

What about translations for embassies, visas and use abroad?

For documents intended for use abroad, establish the receiving authority’s translation and authentication requirements. India has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) apostilles documents for member countries and provides “normal attestation” for countries that are not members. (Ministry of External Affairs, Attestation / Apostille)

MEA states that it “does not take responsibility of the contents” of the documents. An apostille therefore confirms the official signature, not the accuracy of the document or of a translation. Deal with the translation requirement separately. (Ministry of External Affairs, Attestation / Apostille)

Some embassies handle the translation step themselves. The Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, for example, takes applications to attest translations of apostilled Indian certificates through VFS Global. It says the translation should preferably be made by its reference translators. Check the destination embassy’s own page before you commission a translation. (Embassy of Italy, New Delhi, Translation and legalization of documents)

Where does machine translation honestly fit?

Machine translation is useful before the formal stage. It is not a substitute for the formal stage. Good uses:

• Understanding a document you have received, such as a notice, a lower court order or a revenue record.

• Sorting a large bundle to find which pages matter and actually need formal translation.

• Producing a first draft that a translator or advocate then corrects and certifies.

• Internal review, research notes and preparing for a client conference.

Raw machine output should not be filed as if it met a court’s translation rules. Do not annex an unreviewed machine translation, and do not certify one you have not checked against the original. For more on free tools, see Google Translate for legal documents.

What can go wrong with machine translation of legal documents?

The errors that matter most in legal work are also the easiest to miss:

• Names. A person’s or village name may be translated as an ordinary word instead of transliterated. The same name may also be spelled differently across pages.

• Numbers. Survey or gat numbers, amounts, dates and area figures can be misread, especially on scans, in handwriting or in non-Latin numerals. Lakh and crore formats can also be mangled. Check every figure.

• Legal and revenue terms. A precise term can come out as a loose synonym that changes its meaning. Land records are a common trouble spot. See 7/12 extract in English.

• Omissions. Stamps, marginal notes, endorsements and handwritten additions can be dropped silently.

• Confidentiality. Uploading a client’s papers sends them to a third party. Check where files are stored, how long they are kept and whether they are used to train models. Get client consent where needed.

What is SUVAS, and does the Supreme Court use AI translation?

Yes, with human checking. In December 2022 the Law Ministry told the Rajya Sabha about SUVAS (Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software). It described SUVAS as AI-based software that can translate judicial documents from English into Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali and Urdu, and back. High Courts had been asked to use it on an experimental basis for testing and training. (Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1064, 15 December 2022)

In its December 2024 Lok Sabha answer, the Ministry described the Supreme Court’s use of AI language technology for translating judicial documents. It recorded a remuneration of Rs 100 per page, by reference to the original English judgment, for retired judicial officers, translators and advocates who vet AI-translated Supreme Court judgments. That is the position reported in that answer. It is separate from the Translation Cell’s rates for vernacular-to-English document assignments. (Lok Sabha Starred Question 174, 6 December 2024)

Where NyayTranslate fits

NyayTranslate produces machine translations for reading and preparation. Its output is not certified, sworn, official or court-approved, and no court translator is involved. Its website describes scan and handwriting processing, subject to legibility, and preservation of layout and markings. Check the original and the output page by page. Obtain the certification, agreement or official translation the receiving authority requires. (NyayTranslate website and FAQs)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the current rules and practice directions of your court.