Despite SC push, several HCs yet to fall in line on tech implementation

Four of the 28 high courts in the country were yet to implement video conferencing rules as of October 31, 2022, while nine of them had not implemented e-filing rules till that time. Further, the Telangana High Court was the only one that has not implemented e-Sewa Kendras.

The numbers are significant in the light of recent comments by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that High Court Chief Justices doing away with the technology set up for virtual hearings was disturbing.

The HCs in Andhra Pradesh, Gauhati (Arunachal Pradesh), Gauhati (Nagaland), and Tripura have yet to put in place the video conferencing rules.

A Bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice P S Narasimha and Justice J B Pardiwala on February 13 said, “It is not about whether you are technology friendly or not, this is not how you deal with public money. You have to make sure infrastructure is available.”

When a lawyer said the new SoP of the Madhya Pradesh High Court does not give virtual options despite spending money on e-courts, the CJI stressed that it doesn’t matter which chief justices “liked” technology and which did not. “Problem is some chief justices say they like technology and some say they don't. I am going to make sure that all fall in line and are on an equal board. Whether you are tech savvy or not, get acquainted with it.”

He said chief justices have to take forward Phase 3 of the e-Courts Project, for which the Centre has allocated ₹7,000 crore. “The Parliamentary Committee had come to the Supreme Court and as a puisne judge, I made a three-hour representation. They were very receptive. These funds are not for our personal use. Now HC chief justices will have to take this mission forward.”

The court said the answer to the current problem was to make technology available at the grassroots. “We are with you. We must ensure that technology reaches every taluka court in the country. That is why as part of Phase 3 of the e-courts Project, we are setting up e-seva kendras in every court establishment. So, if a lawyer has no access to technology, he or she can go to an e-seva kendra and get all available facilities. The e-committee has entered into an MoU with the Common Services Centres Corporation so that all our services are available at the level of villages and panchayats,” the CJI said.

These apart, district courts in 11 states have not implemented e-filing rules and district courts in six states were yet to implement the e-sewa kendras as of October 31, 2022.

Neutral citations

The Supreme Court on Thursday launched neutral citations for its judgments. “This is for all 30,000 judgments of the Supreme court. The first tranche is till January 1, 2023, and the other tranche will be till 1950,” said the CJI.

He said the top court was using machine learning tools to translate judgments. “A total of 2,900 SC judgments have been translated so far. We have also asked district judges to check the machine learning translations of the judgments,” he added.