Senior Advocate & Rajya Sabha Member P. Wilson Moves Special Mention To Mandate Functioning Of Virtual Courts Alongside Physical Courts Across Country

Wilson in his Special Mention moved on February 2, highlighted how the advent of COVID had forced courts to conduct proceedings virtually.

He emphasized that virtual courts had enabled participation from remote areas irrespective of geographical or economic constraints, eliminating the need for individuals to bear significant financial burdens in physical court sessions.

Drawing attention to the changing landscape, Wilson noted, “However, just like the COVID times are behind us, the virtual courts are slowly becoming a thing of the past in some Tribunals such as CERC, TDSAT, NCLAT, APTEL etc. The Hon'ble CJI has appealed to High Courts and Tribunals for utilizing the virtual court infrastructure for which the Government had invested a huge amount of public money.”

“Denying a virtual hearing to a litigant would not just increase litigation cost, but also convert the court proceedings from accessible and convenient to complex and tire consulting. A litigant would have to bear the cost of travel, lodging and extra fees of the lawyer since most of the Tribunals are situated at Delhi,” he added.

Underscoring that the concept of access to justice has been etched in our Constitution, Wilson asserted that through Virtual Courts, the legal process could be streamlined by reducing paperwork and automating administrative tasks, and can lead to faster case resolution and reduced backlog of cases.

“Therefore, demand from Government to bring a comprehensive legislation mandating virtual court hearings along with physical courts in Supreme Court and all High courts, District judiciary and all tribunals across country which includes a code of conduct for Judges, lawyers, litigants and other,” the special Mention concluded.

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