SC directs district courts to digitise trial records
Recently, the Supreme Court has ordered digitization of all records of criminal and civil cases in district courts.
- The Supreme Court has issued directions to all High Courts to ensure digitization of records of lower courts.
- It aims to promote the adaptation of technology to enhance efficiency, procedural uniformity and ease in the judiciary.
- The e-Committee of the Supreme Court has issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conversion of records.
- Under this, all the High Courts have been directed to set up digitization cells, judicial digital repositories and a standardized system.
Need for use of technology in Judiciary –
- Continue operations even in pandemic-like situations and to improve people’s participation rates.
- Ensure speedy and cost effective justice delivery.
- Reduce the burden of pending cases in the courts.
- Increase transparency and accountability.
- Bridge the rural-urban divide by making justice equally accessible.
Challenges in the use of technology in the delivery of justice:
- Digital divide,
- Lack of technical knowledge among the people,
- Initial capital intensity,
Other initiatives in this regard –
- E-Courts Mission: It is a mission mode project for digitization of Judiciary.
- Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) has been launched to enable seamless transfer of data and information between stakeholders such as courts, police, and prison administration.
- Supreme Court has launched Fast and Secure Transmission of Electronic Records (FASTER).
- It is software, which enables speedy transmission of Court orders securely through electronic mode.
- Supreme Court Legal Translation Software (SUVAS) translates judgments delivered in English into the regional language.
Source – Hindustan Times
