New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that excessive or unnecessary procedural requirements in public administration hinder good governance and must be struck down.

A bench led by Justice PS Narasimha, along with Justice Atul S Chandurkar, emphasised that administrative processes should facilitate citizens’ access rather than burden them with redundant formalities. “Simplicity in public transactions is good governance. Constitutional courts uphold this virtue to strengthen the rule of law and ensure access to justice,” the judgment noted.

The case arose from a 2009 Jharkhand government memo that required cooperative societies to obtain a recommendation from the Assistant Registrar before availing stamp duty exemptions under Section 9A of the Indian Stamp (Bihar Amendment) Act, 1988. The Supreme Court found this requirement unnecessary, as the registration certificate under the Jharkhand Self-Supporting Cooperative Societies Act, 1996, already serves as conclusive proof of existence.

Calling the additional certification “superfluous and disruptive,” the court set aside previous High Court judgments that upheld the memo, noting that bureaucratic layering wastes time and resources and undermines transparency, predictability, and efficiency in public administration.

The ruling reinforces that courts can intervene where procedural mandates create avoidable obstacles, ensuring administrative actions align with constitutional values and promote ease of transactions.