SC plans expansion of infra; e-Courts to offer national link

SC plans expansion of infra; e-Courts to offer national link

Subject :Polity

Section: Judiciary

Announcement by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud

• Plans to expand Supreme Court with 27 additional courts and 51 judges’ chambers.
• Currently, Supreme Court has 17 courtrooms and 2 registrar courts.
• Current judicial strength: 32 judges.

Importance of Overhaul

• CJI emphasizes need for overhaul of court infrastructure for accessibility and inclusivity.
• Focus on modernizing judicial infrastructure.

Phases of Expansion

• First Phase
  • Demolition of court museum and annexe building.
  • Construction of new building with 15 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, SCBA library, offices for SCBA and SCAoRA, canteen, women lawyers bar room, and other facilities.
• Second Phase
  • Demolition of portion of existing court complex.
  • Construction of new building with 12 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, registrar courts, and SCBA and SCAoRA lounge.

eCourts Project Overview and Implementation Details

• Introduction and Origin
  • The eCourts Project was launched based on the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005.”
  • The eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, proposed the project to transform the judiciary through the adoption of technology.
• Project Phases and Implementation
  • The eCourts Project operates under the National eGovernance Plan.
  • Phase I, concluded in 2015, computerized 14,249 Court sites across the country.
  • Phase II aims to computerize 18,735 District & Subordinate courts to enhance technology-enabled justice.
  • Phase III envisions further modernization and accessibility of judicial processes.

Project Milestones and Achievements

• WAN Connectivity
  • 99.3% of court complexes (2972 out of 2992 sites) now connected with bandwidth speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
  • Various technologies such as Optical Fiber Cable (OFC), Radio Frequency (RF), and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) used for connectivity.
• Case Information Software (CIS)
  • based on customized Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS).
  • CIS National Core Version 3.2 implemented in District Courts.
  • CIS National Core Version 1.0 implemented for High Courts.
  • COVID-19 Management Patch integrated into CIS for intelligent scheduling of cases, prioritizing urgent cases.
• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)
  • Utilizes elastic search technology.
  • Offers access to case status information for a massive 20.86 crore cases and over 18.02 crore orders/judgments.
  • NJDG includes reasons for case delays to improve transparency.
  • Introduction of open APIs allows government departments to leverage NJDG data for research and analysis.

Citizen-Centric Services and Technological Initiatives

• Service Delivery Channels
  • Various channels established to provide real-time information to lawyers and litigants.
  • Services include SMS Push and Pull (sending and receiving SMS notifications), Email notifications, multilingual eCourts services Portal, Judicial Service centres, Info Kiosks, eCourts Mobile App, JustIS app for judges.
• Virtual Courts
  • 20 Virtual Courts operational across 16 States/UTs.
  • These courts primarily handle traffic offense cases.
• Video Conferencing
  • Video conferencing used extensively in District and High Courts.
  • District courts held 1,28,76,549 cases, and High Courts heard 63,76,561 cases (totaling 1.92 crore cases) through video conferencing till 30.04.2022.
  • Supreme Court conducted 2,61,338 hearings via video conferencing since the beginning of the lockdown period.
• eFiling and eSewaKendras
  • Version 3.0 of the eFiling system introduced with advanced features.
  • Allows online submission of Vakalatnama, eSigning, online video recording of oath, online payment, and more.
  • eSewaKendras established to bridge the digital divide and provide e-filing services and assistance to lawyers and litigants.
  • Nyay Kaushal Centre inaugurated in Nagpur, facilitating e-filing and access to e-Court service

Additional Technological Initiatives

• “Judgment & Order Search” portal inaugurated for easy search of judgments.
• National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) developed for technology-enabled process serving and summons issuing.
• Various other initiatives like Justice Clock, secure website services, and more implemented to enhance accessibility and efficiency.

Phase II Implementation

• Phase II of the eCourts project aims to computerize 18,735 District & Subordinate Courts.
• Outlay of Rs. 1670 crore for Phase II.

Steps Taken for ICT Enablement

• Allocation of funds for various components:
  • Additional hardware provision for courts.
  • Setting up technical infrastructure in existing and new court complexes.
  • Replacement of obsolete laptops for Judicial Officers.
  • Installation of VC equipment in Courts and Jails.
  • Cloud connectivity for all Court Complexes.
  • WAN connectivity establishment.
  • Solar energy provision in 5% Court Complexes.
  • Software development components like CIS, eFiling, ePayments, etc.

Phase III Vision and Ecosystem Approach

Evolving Vision

• Phase III envisions an accessible, efficient, and equitable judicial system.
• Aims to create a digitally native infrastructure.
• Aims to simplify processes and transform them for the digital environment.
• Strives to enable remote case filing, hearings, and digital administrative processes.

Ecosystem Approach for Change

• Redefining Dispute Resolution: Phase III recognizes dispute resolution as both a sovereign function and a service, involving diverse actors from the public, private, and citizen sectors.
• Encouraging Innovation: Rather than creating all solutions internally, Phase III aims to foster rapid innovation by providing open APIs, standards, and specifications for an ecosystem of solutions.

Key Building Blocks

1. Simplifying Procedures: Streamlining processes and adopting digital technology to enhance efficiency and user experience.
2. Foundational Digital Infrastructure: Creating a flexible infrastructure with open APIs and standards for a range of services.
3. Institutional and Governance Framework: Establishing technology offices to oversee infrastructure design and development, enabling collaboration.

Key Goals

1. Hardware Installation: Ensuring essential hardware, reliable connectivity, and power supply to enable digital services.
2. Data Governance: Balancing open courts’ principles with privacy and security considerations.
3. Digital Infrastructure: Developing capabilities for intelligent scheduling, interoperability, digital case management, e-filing, and more.
4. Access to Services: Providing tools for digital case management, live streaming, transcriptions, notice service, and assistance in court and remotely.

e-Committee

• The e-Committee oversees the e-Courts Project, a nationwide initiative under the “National Policy and Action Plan for ICT in Indian Judiciary-2005“.

Purpose and Origin:

• Conceived to modernize the judiciary through technology.
• Proposed by former Chief Justice of India, Mr. Justice R.C. Lahoti.

Digital Transformation:

• Empowers stakeholders with real-time access to judicial data.
• Enables case tracking, pendency management, and resource optimization.
• Facilitates fast-tracking of specific case categories.
• Analyzes data to gauge judiciary’s competency and efficiency.

e-Committee Composition:

• Patron-in-Chief and Chairperson: Hon’ble Dr. Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, The Chief Justice of India.
• Members:
  • Judicial Representatives: Judges provide insights on tech integration while upholding justice values.
  • Legal and Tech Experts: Professionals in law and tech offer strategic guidance for effective integration.
  • Government Officials: Align e-Courts with wider government initiatives.
  • Academics: Provide research-based insights for tech infusion.

IT Specialists: Ensure practical, secure, and scalable solutions.