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Heralding E-Revolution Of Judiciary : CJI DY Chandrachud's Administrative Reforms In One Year
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
8 Nov 2023 8:32 PM IST
As Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud completes one year as the head of the Indian judiciary, it is worthwhile to have a look at some of the notable administrative and infrastructural reforms ushered in by him during this term.The period since he took the office as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022 has witnessed several path breaking initiatives that include adoption...
As Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud completes one year as the head of the Indian judiciary, it is worthwhile to have a look at some of the notable administrative and infrastructural reforms ushered in by him during this term.
The period since he took the office as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022 has witnessed several path breaking initiatives that include adoption of cutting edge technology making court premises more accessible and inclusive.
E-Courts, hybrid hearings, E-Filing
CJI DY Chandrachud has played a pioneering role in ensuring that the judiciary adopts the latest technological developments, with a special impetus to popularise hybrid hearings. On noticing that several High Courts and Tribunals are discouraging hybrid hearings, a bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud passed a judicial order to keep the option of virtual appearances available for lawyers and litigants. High Courts were also directed to make free wi-fi available to lawyers and litigants.
Some key technological innovations implemented during this period are :
- Upgradation of the Integrated Case Management System (ICMIS) for a more efficient advanced legal ecosystem.
- Launch of the online RTI portal for Supreme Court enabling the public to submit queries under the Right to Information Act in relation to the SC online.
- Establishment of E-Sewa Kendras to help lawyers and litigants with e-filing. E-Sewa Kendras attended to more than 2400 queries since their inception.
- E-filing initiatives which reduce carbon footprint and realize paperless courts. From its launch on 12.05.2023 till 19.10.2023, as many as 9,913 fresh filings have been made through the E-Filing module. Every month, approximately 5,500 letter petitions and 10,000 e-mails are received in the PIL English Section that are now digitally processed.
- E-Copying module has been developed to bring speed and efficiency in obtaining certified copies.
- Launch of Su-Swagatham portal where the visitors to the Supreme Court can get e-entry passes through online applications. As of 18.10.2023, 69,236 visitors obtained e-passes through this portal.
eSCR Project and Neutral Citations
In January this year, CJI launched the e-Supreme Court Reports (eSCR) project, which makes available all Supreme Court Reports in digital version. The eSCR portal also has a search facility, which can be used for searching judgments based on queries. The striking feature of this portal is that the services are provided completely free of cost. This is a great boon to young lawyers and law students, who may not be in a position to afford the prices of private judgment databases and search portals.
Along with the eSCR project, CJI also launched the neutral citations system for judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts to ensure a uniform pattern for citing judgments. Over 36,000 judgments are available so far on the eSCR.
The CJI also launched a project to translate Supreme Court judgments to regional languages using Artificial Intelligence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, lauded the CJI for the translation project, saying that it made judgments more accessible to common people.
CJI also took steps to ensure that the Supreme Court's data is available on the National Judicial Data Grid. The Supreme Court of India has entered into an MoU with IIT Madras to facilitate the digital transformation of the Indian judiciary.
Handbook to combat gender stereotypes
In a significant step towards a gender just legal order, the Supreme Court launched a "Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes" aimed at eradicating gender stereotypes from judicial discourse.
The Court also took the lead towards inclusion of LGBTQIA + Community within the Supreme Court premises. Universal Rest Rooms were created at different locations in the main building as well as the Additional Building Complex of the Supreme Court. Online appearance portal launched earlier this year was also made gender neutral. 96 new sanitary napkin vending machines and 14 incinerators have also been installed in all the ladies washrooms in the supreme court premises.
Reforms in listing process
To prioritise cases involving personal liberty, CJI Chandrachud directed that ten bail applications and ten transfer petitions should be listed before every bench of the Supreme Court every day.
A new mechanism was devised by which every day of the week is reserved for addressing cases relating to specific categories ranging from Criminal matters, MACT matters, Arbitration matters, etc.
When he took over as the CJI, the Supreme Court had 69,647 cases pending. Though 51,384 cases were freshly filed later, the pendency figure of the Supreme Court has not increased much, as the arrears as on 20.10.2023 is 70, 754. This means that the case disposal rate has remained remarkably high during the period.
Global outreach
The tenure of CJI is also marked by his global imprint. The Chief Justice of India headed the Indian Delegation for the Eighteenth meeting of Chief Justice/Chairpersons of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at New Delhi with an aim to foster effective judicial cooperation among Member States.
He participated in several International Conferences and meetings such as Cambridge Pro Bono Project (CPP), Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge ; Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh; Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom ; Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA ; Georgetown Law University, Washington DC, USA. He also visited Harvard Law School, Cambridge, where he was felicitated with an 'Award for Global Leadership' by Harvard Law School Centre on Legal Profession. He also attended Opening of the Legal Year at Westminster Abbey, London.
CJI Chandrachud also headed the Indian Delegation for the Inaugural Singapore-India Roundtable organised by the Supreme Court of Singapore in September, 2023 and delivered a lecture on the “Seven decades of the Indian Constitution: The Life of a Nation” at the Singapore Academy of Law.
Infrastructural developments.
The Additional building complex, which is recently built, now has facilities such as Training cum Examination Centre, Yoga and Recreational Hall, Health and Wellness and an upcoming Creche. New Canteen facility for advocates and litigants was inaugurated on 05th October, 2023.
The Judges library has been modernised and digitalised with required infrastructure. A 6 feet high beautiful sculpture 'Goddess of Justice' has been installed inside Judges Library. Soli Sorabjee's Bibliotheca was also inaugurated by Chief Justice of India on the Second floor of the new Judges Library. It has books from the personal collection of Mr. Sorabjee which was given by his family to the Judges Library.
