Technology Is Not Confined To Pandemic, Must Look Beyond It: Chief Justice Chandrachud Appeals To High Courts To Not Disband Infrastructure For Virtual Hearings

The Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud speaking at the National Conference on Digitization, Paperless Courts and e-Initiatives organised by the High Court of Orissa, appealed to the Chief Justices of High Courts, to not disband the infrastructure for virtual courts that were set up during the pandemic. He said that part of reason that the e-committee was able to sustain the budget that was received from the Union Government was due to the support it received from the Parliamentary Standing Committee. However, when the committee recently visited some High Courts, it was seen that much of infrastructure set up during covid was not used at all.

“Screens, computers are put away in a corner of High Courts as a reminder that we used technology at some point in the past. The Parliamentary Standing Committee had a cogent point, do these funds make sense if High Courts are disbanding the structure we have set up? I had written to the Chief Justices of High Courts requesting them not to disband the infrastructure created during the pandemic.”

The question is not whether we have virtual court facilities, the question is whether we are using them, the CJI stated.

“I get a lot of PILs that the High Courts have disbanded the infrastructure for virtual hearings. I would like to appeal to the Chief Justices of High Courts, please don't disband the infrastructure created during the pandemic. Covid-19 provided us a justification, it was an imperative. But technology is not confined to COVID 19 pandemic but we must look beyond it.” the CJI added.

In this regard, the CJI appreciated his colleagues for adapting seamlessly to virtual mode. “All my colleagues, some of them on the verge of retirement have gone completely into the electronic mode. The eagerness with which they have adapted it, it is all about a change in mindsets.”

While speaking on the switch to e-filing, the CJI stated that the Supreme Court was ready with its e-filing module. "We have engaged with the bar and clerks of lawyers and we are in final stage. We have requested teams of lawyers to come in groups and they are being made aware of e-filing. We are training the law clerks, this is their source of livelihood, they cannot be left behind in march of technology. We are training all stakeholders before we roll it out in the near future as a mandatory form of filing.”

The CJI pointed out that some Tribunals and High Courts are insisting on physical filing in addition to e-filing. Stating that there can be no greater disincentive to a litigant, the CJI said “the answer to our unease as judges in handling electronic files is not to burden the litigant by requiring them to file a physical copy in addition to e filing, it is to retrain ourselves.”

Live updates of the event can be accessed here.

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