CJI DY Chandrachud Launches 'E-Sewa Kendras' In Supreme Court To Help Parties With E-Filing

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today announced the launch of 'e-filing 2.0' and 'e-Sewa Kendra and Facilitation Centre' in the Supreme Court. The announcement of the launch came before the CJI-led bench started hearing the mentionings for the day.

CJI DY Chandrachud said–

"We have now unveiled this morning E-filing 2.0. The facilities will be available to all lawyers 24/7. We have started two facilitation centres. The facilitation centres are so that lawyers who do not have these facilities - we will hand hold them. I request all lawyers to use e-filing."

Lawyers present in the court hailed the move. The Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said–

"Only because of my lords we were able to get rid of that mental block!"

CJI Chandrachud inaugurated today morning at 10 AM the e-Sewa Kendra established at Main Building Complex. One can walk-in the e-sewa kendra to not only file cases through e-filing software but also avail other services to know cases status about cases from any court or tribunal across the country. e-Sewa Kendra also has 2 dedicated VC rooms, from where parties can appear virtually. Also, an e-filing facilitation centre has also been established in Additional Building Complex so that lawyers can conveniently file cases.

The whole idea is to bridge the digital divide and have more citizen centric approach and services.

The Chief Justice has long been a proponent of paperless filing and have been encouraging lawyers to use technology. In the recent Constitution Bench hearings in the GNCTD-LG, Shiv Sena and same-sex marriage cases, CJI had strictly told the lawyers to not use physical paper-books and all documents were submitted to the court electronically.

Recently, CJI-led bench had deprecated the practice of NCLAT whereby physical filing of appeals has been made mandatory in addition to e-filing of appeals. While expressing displeasure regarding the said practice, the Court observed as under:

“…If some judges are uncomfortable with e-files, the answer is to provide training to them and not to continue with old and outmoded ways of working. The judiciary has to modernize and adapt to technology. The tribunals can be no exception. This can no longer be a matter of choice...”