Punjab & Haryana High Court Seeks Status Report On PIL Filed Seeking Online Case Monitoring System For Permanent Lok Adalat

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has sought a status report from the Union, Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh administration and other authorities on the PIL filed seeking an online case monitoring system for all the Permanent Lok Adalat functioning under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Aman Chaudhary issued notice to the Union Government and the States of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh Administration, National Legal Service Authority (NALSA), Punjab State Legal Service Authority (PSLSA),  Haryana State Legal Service Authority (HSLSA), State Legal Services Authority, UT Chandigarh.

Abhishek Malhotra, Vivek Tiwari, and Kartik Kaushal, advocates by profession, moved the High Court, highlighting that there is no online case monitoring system which would enable litigants or advocates to access daily cause lists, court orders, caveat search, or other case information in Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA) across the country.

"Since the inception of PLA in the year 2002 u/s 22-B of Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, there is no legal service of Process Servers, Naib Courts, Bailiffs, Judgement Writers, Copying Branch, Record Keeper etc, in the PLA across India, thereby, making it extreme difficult for the litigants, lawyers and common layman to address these essential services from their own pocket," added the plea.

The petition also sought the filling of vacant posts of chairpersons, and administrative staff to their working strength in the PLA of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

The matter is listed for August 20, for further consideration.

Title: Abhishek Malhotra and Ors v. UOI & Anr.

Advocates Abhishek Malhotra, Vivek Tiwari for petitioners.

Dheeraj Jain, Sr. Panel Counsel for Union.

Ad AG Saurav Khurana for Punjab.

Ad AG Deepak Balyan for Haryana.