Delhi High Court Directs District Judges To Ensure Records Of Disposed Cases Are Immediately Transmitted To Record Room

The Delhi High Court has directed all the District Judges in the national capital to ensure that after disposal of a case, its records are immediately transmitted to the record room.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula was dealing with a public interest litigation concerning the lack of standardised procedure for the acknowledgment of pleadings, documents and applications filed in the district courts of Delhi.

“We, therefore, direct all District Judges to ensure that after disposal of a case, its records are immediately transmitted to the record room by the custodian of the record. Accordingly, all the District Judges are directed to file a status report in respect of the aforesaid within 4 weeks from today,” the court said.

In August, the bench had directed all the district courts in Delhi to adopt a “standardized online filing system” for pleadings, documents, and miscellaneous applications and issued a slew of directions to be followed till the time appropriate Rules are in place.

In its compliance report, the Delhi High Court’s administration said that the directions have been complied with partially.

Regarding introduction of a centralised filing system in the Patiala House Court as a pilot program, the High Court’s counsel told court that a progress report stating the challenges and learnings will be submitted within four weeks.

“Accordingly, let a fresh status report be filed by the Delhi High court detailing compliance with all directions issued by this Court on 17.08.2023, within 4 weeks from today,” the court ordered.

The bench noted that the High Court’s status report also revealed that the issue concerning the framing of rules for a centralised online filing system has been forwarded to the Information Technology Committee of the High Court for further deliberations.

The matter will now be heard on November 20.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. Sahil Ralli.

Counsel for Respondents: Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, SC, GNCTD with Mr. N.K. Singh, Ms. Laavanya Kaushik and Ms. Aliza Alam, Advocates. Mr. Shubham Mahajan, Advocate for R-12.

Case Title: KARAN S THUKRAL v. THE DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE & ORS

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Del) 988

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