The Orissa High Court marked its 75th establishment anniversary with a groundbreaking move, delivering a verdict in the regional language, Odia. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi, presiding over a single bench, pronounced a 41-page verdict in Odia on a writ petition that had been heard on July 19. This decision aimed to make it easier for the involved parties to comprehend the judgement. The move came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud emphasized the importance of translating judgements into regional languages to facilitate citizens access to justice. CJI Chandrachud acknowledged that English is not easily understandable by a vast majority of citizens and announced that Supreme Court judgements will now be translated into four languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, and Odia.

Additionally, on the occasion of its platinum jubilee, the Orissa HC demonstrated another remarkable feat. A division bench, comprising Justices Debabrata Dash and Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi, delivered judgements in an equal number of criminal appeals, primarily related to murder cases, all in a single day. Through a hybrid arrangement where parties appeared both virtually and physically, the bench tackled 75 pending criminal appeals that had been awaiting resolution for seven years. The packed courtroom erupted into thunderous applause as all 75 cases listed for the day received their verdicts by evening, celebrating the court’s glorious 75-year journey in a momentous manner.