eCourts Project: Value and Benefits

eCourts Project: Value and Benefits

Question The Union Cabinet recently gave its approval for the second phase of eCourts Mission Mode Project at INR 1670 crore. Discuss the value of the eCourts project and its many benefits.

The eCourts project envisages enhanced ICT enablement of courts via the following:

- Universal computerisation

- Use of cloud computing

- Digitisation of case records

- Increased availability of online e-services via e-filing, e-payment and mobile apps

- eCourts project aims at providing required hardware and software apps to enable courts to delver e-services to citizens

- It also enables the judiciary to manage and monitor functioning of courts in a more effective manner
Phase 1 of the project involved computerisation of greater than 13,000 District and Subordinate courts and case information associated with district court websites

- The eCourts are now providing online e-services such as case status, judgements and cause lists through the eCourts portal

- Case status information in over 5 crore pending and declared cases and more than one crore orders and judgements are available online

- Litigants as well as lawyers also provide services via Judicial Service Centre at court complexes

- Around greater than 24 crore transactions have been recorded pertaining to online access of court information
Value

- Phase II of the project will help in automation of workflow management leading to better case and court management

- Touchscreen based kiosks and videoconferencing facilities is to be installed in Court complexes and surrounding jails

- Hand held process service devices will ensure servers have transparent and time bound delivery of court notice and summons

- Use of solar energy has been proposed at court complexes on a pilot basis

- In accordance with the Digital India Programme of GoI, the project also encapsulates digital infrastructure as a core utility for evert citizen to ensure they become digitally empowered

- eCourts will involve the judges, litigants, court staff, lawyers and general public in proceedings

- ICT will help the eCourts to avoid slowness, rigidity and secrecy

- Information and Communication Technology can be used in HC, District Judiciary and allied areas

ICT implementation will be accomplished through the following :

- Court will be connected to jail by ISDN Lines at both ends a camera unit and display unit will be provided with recording facility at the court’s end

- Undertrials will be produced at the Jail while judge, lawyers and witnesses will remain present in court and regular trial will be conducted
Judicial remand of undertrial can also be extended without producing him or her in court

- The judicial remand of the under-trial can also be extended without physically producing him in Court.

Benefits

- Wanted criminals who are dreaded can be tried without risk

- Trial is expedited through the employment of this facility

- Cost and manpower for producing undertrials only for remand extension can be cut down on

- Many trials of the accused lodged in one jail can be carried out in different states

- Evidence of witnesses unable to attend Court can also be recorded through this method

- Minor witnesses can be protected from the accused through the use of this facility in cases where child abuse has occurred

- Intra and inter court communication will be facilitated

- Storage of case studies will be easier

Facts and Stats

- Judicial remand extension of undertrials in Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore have already been accomplished through eCourts

- Video conferencing facility was used in states where trial of accused lodged in Pune jail in the Telgi case was conducted
IVRS facility is already operational in SC