The Supreme Court of India urged the central and state governments on Tuesday to consider a petition to publish all legislations in regional languages in order to improve access for those whose “conduct and day-to-day lives” will be governed by these laws. However, the Bench, which included Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Bela M. Trivedi, refused to hear a petition demanding the release of draft legislations prior to their introduction in order to increase transparency and public engagement. The petitioner, Ashwini Upadhyay, had asked the Supreme Court to order the Centre and states to post draft legislation clearly on official websites and in the public domain at least 60 days before proposing it in the Parliament and State Assemblies.

The court was also asked to direct the competent governments to publish draft legislation in all of the regional languages specified in the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.