The significance of technology in the legal domain was acknowledged in the late ’90s with the enactment of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The e-Courts Mission, initiated in 2006 as part of a nationwide electronic governance initiative, aimed to enhance the judiciary’s technological capabilities. Collaboratively conceptualized by the Department of Justice and the e-Committee of the Supreme Court based on the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Indian Judiciary – 2005,” the e-Courts Project Phase II focuses on the digitalization of court records for online accessibility.
Several milestones have been achieved in integrating technology into the judicial process, including the computerization of 18,735 district and subordinate courts. The Case Information Software (CIS), Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SUPACE), and Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS) are examples of technological tools introduced to make all relevant case details readily available and easily accessible. The National Judicial Data Grid, established with elastic search technology, provides easy access to millions of cases, orders, and judgments.
The judiciary also embraced video conferencing, particularly during the pandemic, with notable cases such as Salem Advocate Bar Association v. Union of India (WP No. 496 of 2002) utilizing this technology. The usage of video conferencing saw a massive rise during the pandemic period. The district and subordinate courts heard 2,01,57,517 cases through video conferencing since the start of the lockdown. High courts and the Supreme Court heard 78,82,514 and 4,82,941 cases respectively using video conferencing.
In 2018, the Supreme Court, through the decision of Swapnil Tripathi v Supreme Court of India, allowed live-streaming of Constitutional matters and cases of national importance. The Gujarat High Court made the first step in July 2021 and became the first court in the country to livestream its proceedings. Later, it was followed by the High Courts of Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Patna and other High Courts.
Citizen-centric services are offered through seven different platforms, viz. SMS notifications, email communication, the e-Courts services portal, Judicial Service Centers, Information kiosks, the e-Courts mobile app, and the JustIS app for judges. The digitalization efforts are reflected in the success of the e-Courts mobile app, downloaded 1.88 crore times as of June 30, 2023, and the JustIS app for judges, downloaded 19,164 times. The judgement search portal provides instant access to free copies of judgements easily.
The E-Filing system version 3.0, launched with advanced features such as e-Vakalatnama, electronic signatures, video recording of oaths, and integration with the e-payments module, further enhances the digitalization process.
Source: Barandbench
