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e-courts in India still a distant dream

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CIOL Bureau
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NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Indian judicial system yearns for reform. As ICT promises virtual courts for speedy delivery of justice, ironically, the pace of law ministry's pet project is considerably too slow.

Blame it on government's apathy or lackluster judicial system, the electronic delivery of justice has perhaps lost sheen. Nine years passed by from the first announcement, but it’s yet to translate into ground reality.

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As there are as many as 30 million cases pending in different courts throughout India, it may require more than 400 years to dispose them going by the current judicial strength. That makes the ICT-driven justice imperative.

The law ministry may laud digitalization process and cause lists availability on Web servers of more than 20 high courts, but the full-fledged program has a long way to go. In Delhi, only two courts have been digitalized which are yet to get e-court status.

Justice Altamas Kabir of top court believes that they have a vision, but e-courts in India are yet to become a reality. With e-filing as one of its constituents, he feels, there will be no need for litigants to be physically present.

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To be powered with ICT-driven infrastructure, the e-courts envisage demystification of the adjudicatory processes. The e-trials, however, would not just include e-filing but electronic delivery of comprehensive set of judicial activities.

A noted techno-legal expert, senior Supreme Court counsellor and managing partner at Perry4Law firm Praveen Dalal opines that it’s imperative to establish e-courts in India soon. “The first indication of e-courts in India was given in 2003,” he said.

Till now, Dalal said, not even a single e-court has been established in any state. “Lack of techno-legal expertise is the main reason for the current scenario,” he said. Further, Dalal believes that governmental and judicial resolve to establish e-courts in India is also missing.

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