Why in News?

• To explore the possible ways of use of technology in the legal system a National Conference on Digitization, Paperless Courts and e-Initiatives has been organized by the High Court of Orissa in the Odisha Judicial Academy, Cuttack.
• Implementation of the Action Plan of Phase-III of e-Courts Project of the Supreme Court of India is the focal point of the conference.

 What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is the e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project?
• What are the Major Initiatives Launched under the Project?
• The National Conference on Digitization, Paperless Courts and e-Initiatives
• New Initiative - “Neutral Citation for the Indian Judiciary”

 What is the e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project?

• As part of the National e-Governance Plan, the Project has been under implementation (under the aegis of the e-Committee SC) since 2007 for ICT development of the Indian Judiciary.
• It is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, for the District Courts across the country.
• It is based on the National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary-2005.
• The Project envisages:
  • To provide efficient and time-bound citizen centric services delivery.
  • To develop, install and implement decision support systems in courts.
  • To automate the processes to provide transparency in accessibility of information.
  • To enhance judicial productivity, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.
• The Phase I of e-Courts was concluded in 2015 in which 14,249 Court sites were computerised. Under Phase II, 18,735 District and Subordinate courts have been computerised so far.
• 

 What are some of the Major Initiatives Launched under the Project?

• Case Information Software (CIS) based on customised Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) has been developed.
• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a flagship project launched in 2015 for monitoring pendency and disposal of the cases in HCs and Subordinate Courts.
• Virtual Courts (as of July 2022, there are 20 Virtual Courts in 16 States/UTs) and using Video Conferencing.
• An e-Filing system has been rolled out for the electronic filing of legal papers with advanced features like online submission of Vakalatnama, e-Signing, online video recording of oath, etc.
• E-Sewa Kendras: To make justice delivery inclusive and to mitigate handicaps caused by digital divide, e-Sewa Kendras have been rolled out to provide e-filing services to lawyers and litigants.

 The National Conference on Digitization, Paperless Courts and e-Initiatives:

• About:
  • The conference is primarily aimed at discussing how to implement the National Action Plan of Phase-III of e-Courts Project.
  • The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and attended by all the HCs of the country, the delegates from the Department of Justice and the e-Committee, SC.
• Highlights of the CJI’s speech on the occasion:
  • ICT Initiatives like virtual hearing, live streaming, e-Filing, Paperless Courts, digitisation of case records, etc., which gave fillip to the legal system after the Covid pandemic are no longer new and it’s time to effect a complete transformation of judiciary.
  • Amid a demand to set up benches of Orissa HC, CJI said that the technology has obliterated the need for benches of the HC.
  • He hailed Orissa HC’s efforts to set up virtual courts in 20 of the state’s 30 districts, where lawyers can address the HC from their districts.
• Recommendations:
  • There is the need for the judiciary to build its own resources in the field of ICT instead of depending on the private agencies.
  • The issue of data integrity and security highlights the need for framing of a Comprehensive Judicial Data Security Policy for protecting the confidential details of the citizens.
  • Training of Judges, Judicial Officers, Court staff, lawyers and their clerks on ICT initiatives.

 New Initiative - “Neutral Citation for the Indian Judiciary”:

• Case law reporting is an integral part of the legal system. However, different law reports adopt different patterns to identify a case law which often leads to confusion.
• Inaugurated on the occasion by the CJI, Neutral Citations is an initiative (of CJI D.Y Chandrachud) aimed at evolving a uniform and secure methodology for identifying and citing decisions of the orders and judgments of the SC and HCs.
• Case laws, which were so far accessible only to the subscription holders of private law reporters, would now be available to everyone free of cost through Neutral Citations.