The Karnataka High Court recently warned publishers of statutes and statutory instruments to exercise caution against inaccuracies in their publications. [Valerian Fernandes v State of Karnataka and Anr.]A Bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice Krishna S Dixit emphasised that just as no one should suffer for a mistake of law, no one should suffer for the mistake of the law publisher either."It is high time to state that those who print & publish statutes and statutory instruments should be extra cautious, or else, they run the risk of being hauled up for the contempt of court, perjury & the like offences, in addition to being black-listed from public tenders for the supply of books of their publication," the order stated.The Court was hearing a land grant matter when Additional Government Advocate Niloufer Akbar argued that the amount payable for the grant in question had to be in terms of the amended Karnataka Land Grant Rules of 2023, since the amendment was made by way of substitution.She drew the Court's attention to the Karnataka Land Grant Rules, 1969 of KLJ Publications, 2019, 5th Edition.The Court, however, noted that the notification itself did not mention that the amendment was done by substitution. This was pointed out by Advocate Keshava Bhat A, who was appearing for the petitioner."But for his intervention, we would have been swayed away by the mistaken version of the KLJ Publications, Bengaluru, to the enormous detriment of citizens," the Court said.As a result, the appeal was decided in favour of the petitioner, who had secured a grant order before the amendment in question was made.
TAGS: Karnataka High Court warning publishers inaccuracies statutes statutory instruments caution contempt of court perjury
