Gujarat High Court Criminal Manual (subordinate court practice), 1977
The following rules have been made for licensing the petition writers for criminal Courts. (i) The Sessions Judge of each District may, from time to time, by notification, duly published in the Gujarat Government Gazette, direct that from such date as he may prescribe these rules shall be in force in all or any of the Criminal Courts of the District and may by like notification, suspend their operation in any such Court. (ii) When the rules are in force in any Court, no person other than Advocate, Pleader or his Clerk shall be permitted to prepare or write complaints, written statements, applications, list of witnesses, or any other legal documents within the precincts of such Court, unless he shall first have obtained from the presiding Magistrate, a petition writer's licence (form No. 76), which if issued in any criminal Court, shall be subject to confirmation by the Sessions Judge. (iii) The Sessions Judge shall in consultation with the presiding Magistrate, fix the maximum number of petition writers to be licensed in each Court. (iv) No such licence shall be granted to any clerk or peon in the service of Government or to the Clerk of any Advocate or Pleader, practising in the district. (v) Every applicant for a licence shall produce a certificate of good character signed by two Advocates or Pleaders practising in the Court or other reputed and responsible gentlemen known to the presiding Magistrate. (vi) Subject to the provision of rule (iii), the presiding Magistrate may in his discretion issue to selected applicants licences which shall remain in force till suspended or cancelled by competent authority. Temporary licences may be issued to fill temporary vacancies. (vii) Every licensed petition writer shall attend the Court daily during office hours and shall not absent himself without leave. He shall charge such fees only as may be sanctioned by the presiding Magistrate not exceeding in the scale hereto annexed. He shall subscribe his name on every document written by him and shall note thereon the date and the fee charged. He shall keep a register in form No. 75 and shall show it to the presiding Magistrate when required. (viii) No licensed petition writer shall act as law tout or receive any fee for introducing clients to pleaders. (ix) No licensed petition writer shall directly or indirectly bid for any property sold at a Court sale. (x) The Sessions Judge or presiding Magistrate may, by written order, suspend or dismiss any petition writer guilty of misconduct. All punishments inflicted by the presiding Magistrate of any Court subordinate to the Sessions Judges' Court shall be subject to appeal to the Sessions Judge. (xi) A copy of these rules shall be hung up in a conspicuous place in each Court in which they are in force.