Cabinet Approves eCourts Phase III For 4 Years
The Indian government has given the green light to Phase III of the e-Courts project, marking another significant step towards modernizing the country’s judicial system. With a substantial budget allocation of Rs 7,210 crore, this initiative aims to leverage technology to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the courts.
One of the central objectives of the e-Courts Phase III project is to transition towards a digital, online, and paperless court system. This ambitious endeavor seeks to digitize the entire spectrum of court records, including legacy documents. This digital transformation is poised to streamline court processes, reduce administrative overhead, and expedite access to critical legal information.
The e-Courts project traces its roots back to 2007 and operates as a centrally sponsored scheme under the National e-Governance Plan. The Supreme Court spearheads the policy planning, strategic direction, and implementation of the project, while the Department of Justice (DoJ) provides essential funding.
Phase II of the project, which boasted a budget of Rs 1,670 crore, played a pivotal role in modernizing the judiciary, particularly during the tumultuous period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It introduced significant technological upgrades to court operations and introduced the National Judicial Data Grid—a repository housing over 23 crore cases from district courts to the Supreme Court. This data repository was instrumental in enhancing transparency and access to judicial information.
One of the most exciting features of Phase III is the implementation of a smart scheduling system. This system will recommend, though not decide, the most appropriate schedule for listing cases based on a multitude of factors. These factors include the availability of judges, lawyers, witnesses, the nature of the case, and the caseload of the judge assigned to the case.
The introduction of this intelligent scheduling system holds the potential to significantly reduce the backlog of cases and alleviate the problem of delays that has plagued the Indian judiciary for years. Moreover, this system will also empower lawyers and litigants by providing them with a definitive estimate of when their case will be heard, reducing the need for frequent adjournments.
To support the technological advancements and process re-engineering necessary for Phase III, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has allocated Rs 50 crore. This funding will be instrumental in developing and deploying the smart scheduling system and other technological enhancements. Additionally, Rs 33 crore has been earmarked for re-engineering judicial processes. This investment is expected to streamline court operations, simplify legal procedures, and improve the overall efficiency of the justice system.
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