June 14, 2017

S-185 How to read a Legal Case Paper Book...

I observed this method in a senior advocate who is now a sitting Judge in Supreme Court of India.

Method:

A legal case paper book is a bound paperbook. It's pages are numbered from 1 to 200 or so.

Before page No. 1 starts, there is an Index Page. All documents contained in paperbook are titled and numbered here as 1 to 8, 9 to 25, 26 to 94, 95 to 120 etc.

Now reading this paper book, suppose on page 89 you come across a para which you would like to show to Judges during hearing of Case.

Then turn to index page, find the document in which page 89 is found, in this example, it will be in document included between page 26 to 94. Now against this document, on Index Page in margin, write 89.

If what is there on page 89 is very important, you can also put a circle or other mark on 89.

Soon on Index Page, you will have also numbers of most important pages to which you want to draw attention of Judges.

When you want to review your case while sitting in Court, all you need to see pages and marks you have made on Index Page. You can refresh important points of your case and memory by looking at just this index page.

I do not say that this is the best method. We all are different. You may have to evolve a method which suits you. No need to follow someone else.

Haresh Raichura 13/6/17