Virtual Courts For Traffic Challan Cases Inaugurated At 5 Districts In Himachal Pradesh

The Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, on Monday inaugurated Virtual Courts of Mobile Traffic Magistrates for expediting the disposal of Motor Vehicle Challans.

The virtual courts are launched in five districts of Bilaspur, Ramirpur, Solan, Sirmaur, and Kinnaur. The virtual ceremony was graced by the esteemed presence of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Justice Satyen Vaidya, Justice Sushil Kukreja, and Justice Virender Singh.

The primary objective behind these Virtual Courts is to usher in a paperless era in the judicial system and significantly reduce the physical footfalls in traditional courts. The road map for creating the Virtual Court for disposal of Motor Vehicle Challans was prepared in the year 2019, and first Virtual Court was made functional at Shimla in December 2021 which has disposed of 1,932 cases thus far.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice emphasized that access to justice is one of the most fundamental tenets enshrined in the Constitution. Therefore to ensure that such access is not diminished and the said ideal is not jeopardized, adequate infrastructure needs to be provided to the Courts.

Stressing on the need of correlation between access to justice and physical and digital infrastructure the Chief Justice asserted that the inauguration of Virtual Courts of five districts shall benefit the public at large.

"Now the litigants have not to travel from far flung areas for the disposal of their challans and also reduce the nendency of the Motor Vehicle Challans in the Courts", he remarked.

Registrars, Director of H.P. Judicial Academy, Central Project Coordinator, and officers and officials of High Court Registry also attended the ceremony. District & Sessions Judges and other Judicial Officers of the concerned District Courts joined virtually.