HC judges to hone skills in cyber laws, IPR

National Judicial Academy to hold national conference for judges of 24 High Courts on IPR and cyber laws

Against the backdrop of courts in the country dealing increasingly with a variety of cases relating to commercial disputes and cyber crimes, High Court judges will soon sit together to hone their skills in cyber laws and statutes relating to intellectual property rights.

Bhopal-based National Judicial Academy will later this year organise a national conference for judges of the 24 High Courts on law and technology, including IPR and cyber laws.

"The objective of the programme is to enhance the skills and knowledge base of the judges in two emerging disciplines of IPR and cyber laws," the Academy said referring to the proposed conference.

The number of judges from each High Court who would attend the programme will be decided by the Chief Justices of the respective High Courts.

Law Ministry officials here said that such conferences were a must as the higher judiciary is faced with more cases than ever in these areas. They said such interactions also help judges exchange notes on cases they have dealt with.

They said with the proliferation of web content providers, extensive use of social media by individuals and groups and opening up of economy, cases related to cyber laws and IPR are on the rise.

The Academy also plans to hold a similar conference early next year for district judges dealing with commercial and economic laws.

"The delay in adjudication (of such cases) not only affects the individual rights but also the economy as a whole. In any system the performance of the courts in resolving the commercial and economic disputes should be faster and economical, but unfortunately our country witnesses very slow adjudication and long delays occur because of various factors," the objective stated by the NJA for holding the proposed programme said.

It said the conference will also provide a forum for the judges to meet their counterparts from across the country and to have an in-depth discussion on various aspects concerning the commercial and economic adjudication.

The NJA is an independent society and the Chief Justice of India is the Chairman of the General Body of the Academy. It is funded by the central government.