Thread by @barandbench

Justice DY Chandrachud e-inaugurates 3 E-Seva Kendras for the Patna High Court, Patna Civil Court, Panchayat Raj, Lakhnaur.

Patna HC CJ Sanjay Karol observed that the E-Seva Kendras will aid in access to justice for all stakeholders even in the remotest areas.

Justice Chandrachud observes that it is symbolic, as Chief Justice Karol said, that the e-Seva Kendras are being inaugurated a year after the COVID-19 lockdown was announced.

Justice Chandrachud: We are meeting here with a sense of hope, amidst loss.

Justice Chandrachud observes that there is a united sense of hardship shared by Indians across the country, which helps in understanding what is being overcome.

Justice Chandrachud: E-Seva Kendras show that technology is for the benefit and use of every citizen...Very often it is said that the Courts speak an elite language, English...

Justice Chandrachud: E-Seva Kendras represent an effort to access citizens... they represent a citizen-centric technology, which provides confidence in the judicial process... where citizens understand the court process without the help of an intermediary.

Justice Chandrachud says that Rs 12.5 crores have been given to all High Courts to establish E-Seva Kendras.

E-Seva Kendras are functional in 22 High Courts, apart from several district courts. Kerala has the highest number of E-Seva Kendras, followed by Orissa.

Justice Chandrachud says awareness has to be spread about E-Seva Kendras

Justice Chandrachud also speaks of the need to train advocates through e-court training programmes

Justice Chandrachud: The most important stakeholders in the system apart from litigants are the advocates.

Justice Chandrachud: 93% of advocates trained are confident to train others (becoming master trainers).

Justice Chandrachud informs that he had set up a committee to formulate an SOP for digitisation of court records, chaired by a distinguished scientist and officer of C-DAT.

Justice Chandrachud: One important thing we came to know - at some point in time, we have to make sure e-filing takes over paper filings. We can start with small applications... so we will have a cut off date when filings will not be accepted in the paper form.

Justice Chandrachud: From that perspective, e-Seva Kendras and training of advocates is crucial.

Justice Chandrachud informs that between March 24, 2020-March 20 2021, 1 crore 22 lakhs cases were registered in District Courts, 71 lakh cases disposed

Chandrachud J.: This is something really for the whole world to realise about the kind of work district judiciary is handling

Justice Chandrachud speaks on how data on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is useful.

In Bihar, for instance, he points out that one of the oldest criminal cases is from 1971 which has been pending for the last 40 years because the "accused is absconding."

Justice Chandrachud says he is not being critical, but speaking on how NJDG data can be used.

Justice Chandrachud: NJDG gives statistics by virtue of which we as judges can monitor why these cases are pending.

Justice Chandrachud: The virtual statistics available at our command can help us to better manage and track pending litigation.

Justice Chandrachud: We can also use this data for 2 other purposes, which is in assessment of our district judiciary. So many of the compliances which district courts submit to high courts-paper registers, manual registers - can be dispensed with by seeking access to technology

Justice Chandrachud: The amount of time that is consumed by judicial officers in sending these periodical reports to the High Court and the amount of paperwork which is involved - much of this paperwork can now be obviated by electronic inspections of our district courts.

Justice Chandrachud: The manner in which we assess our district judges can be fundamentally changed by recourse to technology.

Justice Chandrachud: It is very significant that we have held this programme on a very crucial day of remembrance for our nation.

Justice Chandrachud: This has given us an opportunity to remind ourselves that all of us are unified in our problems, in our challenges and all of us are unified in this effort we make as members of the judiciary to find answers to those problems.

Justice Chandrachud: The problems that we face are not necessarily problems we have created. Many of them are problems which we have inherited from the nature of the structure which we got on the eve independence.

Justice Chandrachud: But over 70 years down the line, as we approach the third quarter of the century, I think we should now be making an effort to modernise the Indian judiciary ...

Justice Chandrachud: ... set it (judiciary) on a platform, and using technology truly to convey the benefit of the services which we provide to common citizens for whom we exist.

As Justice Chandrachud concludes, he informs that after he came to his office yesterday at 5 pm, he had observed that CJ Karol had been personally overseeing the testing for today's event.

Justice Chandrachud: Lo and behold I saw the Chief Justice (Sanjay Karol) on the screen, personally monitoring the arrangements for today. I did not want to interrupt. But I thank you for all your personal attention.

Event concludes after the vote of thanks.