Supreme Court Refuses To Entertain Plea To Include Tribunals In National Judicial Data Grid

The Supreme Court today ( July 24) declined to hear a petition seeking the inclusion of Tribunals in the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).

The bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismissed the petition considering that the NJDG is a part of the E-Courts project which only covers the functioning of Courts.

The NJDG is a key part of the e-Courts project, offering easy access to information about court cases. It shows data on new, pending, and completed cases, making the justice system more open. However, tribunals set up under various laws are not yet part of this system. It may be noted that on September 14, 2023, the CJI announced the Supreme Court's data to be officially on board with the NJDG. 

The CJI explained that presently the Union dispersed funds worth 7000 crores under the 3rd phase of the E-Court Project which were to be utilised for the Courts across the country. He added that including the tribunals under the project may lead to the funds being diverted for the tribunals instead of the Courts. 

" The NJDG is part of the E-Courts project. The E-Courts project comprehends only the district courts, the High Courts and the Supreme Court. We don't take the tribunals as part of the E-courts project at all. In phase 3 we got 7000 crores for court, it doesn't cover the tribunals. The moment we say tribunals will be brought on, the funds will be distributed by the Government to the tribunal under e-courts" 

The CJI then explained that as per the ambit of the E-Court project, the Supreme Court is in collaboration with the Department of Justice and the project only covers the Court System. 

Dismissing the petition, the Court clarified that the petitioner would be at liberty to pursue any other prayer he has by adopting the appropriate course of law.  The petitioner was also allowed to make representation before the Union. 

As per the petitioner, a recent Right to Information (RTI) inquiry to the Department of Justice revealed that tribunals are not currently included in the NJDG. The department also stated that there are no plans to add them.

The petitioner argued that including tribunals in the NJDG is crucial for transparency and accountability. They claimed it would help ensure that tribunals follow the principles of fairness outlined in the Indian Constitution.

The plea sought directions from the Top Court to order the government to take steps to add all tribunals, both central and state to the NJDG. 

"With the ongoing digital advancement in India and this Hon'ble Court's emphasis to leverage technology in access to justice, integrating tribunals into the NJDG has become essential for the effective dispensation of justice. A direction to the Department of Justice to include tribunals in the NJDG would significantly advance the cause of justice and effectively change the judicial landscape." 

The petition was filed with the assistance of AOR Vishal Arun Mishra. 

Case Details : KISHAN CHAND JAIN Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. W.P.(C) No. 453/2024

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