Supreme Court Issues Notice In PIL Seeking Virtual Hearings In Family Courts

The Supreme Court on Monday (October 21) issued notice in PIL seeking hybrid hearings in Family Courts to ease the litigation process for the parties and their family members. 

The petition was heard by CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala, and  Manoj Mishra.  The petition is filed by Advocate Kishan Chan Jain. 

The PIL highlights that there are 11 lakh pending cases in family courts and absence of hybrid or virtual hearings only adds to the emotional and financial constraints of the litigants especially in cases of custody, maintenance, divorce which adversely affects children and women in particular.  

"The backlog of over 11 lakh pending cases in Family Courts is causing significant delays in justice, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly."

The plea states that introducing the hybrid form of hearing would curb the logistical and geographical challenges posed in the way for parties who travel and spend for attending court hearings. 

The following reliefs have been sought by the petitioner : 

i) Establishment of necessary digital infrastructure in family courts, including video conferencing systems, e-filing portals, and online case management systems.

ii) Creation of a monitoring mechanism to ensure the smooth implementation of virtual hearing facilities in family courts;

iii) Centralized reporting system to track and categorize family court cases, enabling targeted reforms.

v) Any other directions deemed fit by this Hon'ble Court to ensure timely justice and reduce the backlog in family courts. 

Case Details : KISHAN CHAND JAIN Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. W.P.(C) No. 667/2024