SC Registry Prepares to Launch E-Filing Software, SCAORA Complains Of Not Being Consulted

“We are shocked to receive the letter under response that the registry of the Supreme Court of India is proposing to bring in a new e-filing software. It is shocking because at no point in time SCAORA or its members have been consulted prior to launch of the proposed new e-filing software. It is expected from the Registry to have a detailed consultation and discussion with the members of SCAORA prior to any changes being considered to be made in the e-filing process.”

TheSCAORA has also urged the registry to fix a meeting with the organisation “to share the problems or lacunas in the existing system, as well as the proposed new filing software.” The proposed meeting, the letter reveals, would also entail a discussion on how inaugurating the new software will be beneficial for the interest and practice of the members of the bar.

Furthermore, SCAORA has recommended that the training exercises should not include only the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record, but chamber staff and junior colleagues “who would be majorly the ones actually undertaking the process of e-filing”. The letter explains, “AoRs are senior and seasoned practitioners who contribute more on the drafting and settling of the pleadings, rather than merely e-filing the same.”

The secretary of SCAORA, Advocate-on-Record Devvrat told LiveLaw, “The registry has sent us a letter announcing a training and awareness programme for the new module designed for e-filing. Our objection is that a module has been designed without taking into consultation SCOARA or any Advocate-on-Record, who are primarily responsible for filing the matters. We're now being called for a training programme when we ought to have been consulted before designing this module itself.” He further added:

“The registrars who design the module usually leave with the change in the chief justice and we will be left with these modules that are designed without consulting the actual end users who are Advocates-on-Record. It has happened in the past, and we are afraid it will happen again. The registry should have informed us and taken our feedback in the designing process, instead of just calling us for a training and awareness session on a pre-designed module.”

On seeking the response of the Registry, the official sources stated that the views of not only bar associations but also advocates' clerks association were also taken. It was pointed out that the Supreme Court had recently organized a "Hackathon" to invite suggestions from the stakeholders for reforming listing and filing processes. The winner of the "Hackathon" event was an advocate-on-record whose presentation was adjudged the best by the Screening-cum-Selection Committee. The official sources said that the 'e-filing' project is only at a nascent stage and that suggestions from the stakeholders were always welcome.

(Report was updated to include the official response)