‘Far Too Much Time Is Lost In Mentioning’: Justice GS Patel-led Bench In Bombay HC Issues Directions To Reduce Paper Inflow, Streamline Listing Process

Just two weeks ago Justice Abhay Oka spoke about doing away with any manual intervention in listing of cases to bring about transparency in all constitutional courts.

According to the notice dated December 28, an automated system for listing will be implemented, doing away with any mentioning of matters unless there is extreme urgency (imposition of costs if urgency is not found). The Daily Board for every week will be issued the previous Friday or Saturday, it adds.

“Far too much time of courts and advocates is lost in mentioning matters for listings,” the notice says.

The notice has further changed the system of seeking listing and orders based on precipices. A precipice is a small note specifying the urgency. A request for any listing would now be through a Google form instead. The form would be checked twice daily and a date of hearing would be given, the notice read.

Moreover, the opponen'ts advocate must be informed about a hearing being sought. According to the notice, a PDF of the Google Sheet will enable all advocates to check their listing requests and the dates assigned on the HC website and through e-mail.

The notice states that this change was required in the absence of any record-keeping of precipices presently. It however clarified that eventually there would be a more robust system for E-filing of PRAECIPES (with auto-generation of SMS, WhatsApp and Email notification to the applicant seeking a listing and a corresponding alert to the advocates/parties who have given their contact information).

“We believe this process will facilitate all advocates and parties in getting their matters listed in a more organized, open, transparent, and efficient manner,” the notice states.

The notice requests advocates to use E-Filing for all fresh matters. Also, the court has prohibited tendering of affidavits across the bar, and instead asked parties to file them 48 hours in advance. A permanent hybrid system of hearings has also been put in place.

Significantly, the notice states that “an endeavour is being made to provide for auto-listing so that for every newly filed Petition or IA, without requiring a praecipe, the matter gets listed even if filing defects are not removed, seven working days after filing.”

This means that praecipes wouldn’t even be required for freshly filed matters which can be heard after seven days.

Click Here To Read Notice