Naming Judges In Affidavits Is “Totally Uncalled For”: Allahabad High Court

Recently, the Allahabad High Court strongly criticised the practice of naming judges in affidavits.

Justice Samit Gopal, was hearing a case concerning tax evasion by a Chinese national residing temporarily in Greater Noida, where the Assistant Commissioner, CGST, in his affidavit, had mentioned the names of the judges whose judgments were cited.

The Court observed:

“This system of mentioning the names of Hon'ble Judges while giving reference to the judgments is totally uncalled for.”

Alice Lee, the applicant, had been in jail since 26 August 2025, on allegations of evading GST at Tentech LED Display Pvt. Ltd. Her bail application raised personal factors, including that Lee is the mother of a three-year-old child and joined the company only as a security worker. Before the Court, it was also submitted that a co-accused had been granted bail by a coordinate bench and that the applicant's visa had expired, with an extension application pending.

Taking these circumstances into account, the Court granted bail to Lee but barred her from leaving the country. While doing so, it reprimanded the Assistant Commissioner, CGST, for mentioning the names of Supreme Court judges in the affidavit.

Justice Gopal directed that officials and lower courts must avoid naming judges when citing judgments. He clarified that only the names of the parties, date of decision, case citation, and relevant text are necessary, and the names of judges are irrelevant. He wrote:

“...ensure that names of the Hon'ble Judges are not mentioned while referring the judgments and it is only the names of the parties, date of decision, the details of the case/citation and the relevant text are relevant which needs to be quoted and not the names of the Hon'ble Judges.”