Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Raise Concerns Regarding Filing & Listing Process, Online Appearances Etc
The Supreme Court Advocates On Record Association (SCAORA) has raised concerns to the Secretary General of the Supreme Court regarding the Filing, Registration and Listing of matters, Online Appearances and Letter Circulations.
SCOARA Secretary Nikhil Jain forwarded to the Supreme Court Secretary General a representation signed by 137 AORs raising the following issues :
(1)Lack of timelines and delay in the defect notifying and curing process : this includes lags on the part of the Registry in curing the defects after the matter is filed online and diary number is generated. It also stresses on other procedural delays in verifying the matter which is filed.
The AoRs have suggested the need for “standard operation procedure be adopted requiring the registry ot issue email communication formally notifying the defects/ still defects ni registration of Interlocutory Applications and sending the same in a timely fashion to enable transparency in the mater and to enable ease of process”
(2) Lack of timelines and delay in updating scanned copies of paperbook : the AoRs point that scanned copies of the paperbooks are either uploaded on the e-portal which much delay or not uploaded at all with a message displayed-the scanned paperbook are not available.
(3) Deletion of matters notified for returnable dates/ matters shown in advance list: AoRs note that very often specifically directed matters are not listed on the date of their hearing or added under the supplementary list at the last hour.
Similarly, many times matters shown in the advance list or weekly list are either not listed, or do not follow the sequence in which the same are shown to be listed in the advance/weekly list, thereby creating further uncertainties as to listings.
The AoRs stress the need for “standard operating procedure is outlined for ensuring that the matters shown ni advance list/weekly list follow a set- sequence, all the parties concerned will have a better idea of matters which are likely to be listed and heard, thereby ensuring that no adjournments are sought on account of sudden/out-of-turn listings.”
Additionally, the AoRs seek for (1) the online appearance portal be made accessible for AORs till lunchtime to enable giving appearances; (2) letter circulation be permitted so that genuine causes where the matters are unable to be taken up, are placed before the Hon'ble Court and stakeholders are not inconvenienced with reading files.