Virtual Court Benchmarks

 

 

Context :

SC panel to set virtual hearing benchmarks  /  04 Nov 2020 / HT

Extract :

Ø  The Supreme Court’s e-committee has set up a panel that will focus on

      #  setting benchmarks and standards for digitising courts

      #  providing virtual interface to litigants through videoconferencing

      #  live streaming,

Ø  As a first step, the panel, with the help of experts, has framed Model Rules for Videoconferencing

Ø  The committee is also looking into live streaming and digitization and to have a National Best Practices Standards in this regard for the entire judiciary.

Ø  The panel he has set up will be exploring the,

       #  Infrastructure required for live streaming and storage of data,

      #  Technical standards,

      #  Cost involved and other requirements.

Ø  In September this year, a Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted a report suggesting permanent virtual proceedings not only for courts but for tribunals in certain category of cases

Ø  Coining the benefits of digital justice as “cheaper and faster”, the Rajya Sabha panel chaired by BJP lawmaker

Bhupendra Yadav [ bhupender.yadav@sansad.nic.in ]

 said in its interim report:

“ This (virtual courts) will cut down the cost and increase efficiency in disposal of cases without unnecessarily being adjourned. Virtual courts can deliver faster results with fewer resources. They can  also reduce commute time to courts and waiting time.”

        

Also :

Can’t hold online hearings with outdated computers: MAT informs Bombay HC  [  08 Nov ]

Extract :

Ø  In his petition filed through advocate Vinod Sangvikar on October 6, Morbale complained that he had been stuck at his native place because of the pandemic, and thousands of lawyers like him and litigants were deprived of access to MAT because of lack of online filing and hearing by the tribunal.

Ø  He had, therefore, sought directions to the MAT to conduct hearings through video conferencing on a daily basis and to update its website to support an e-court system and make it user friendly.

Ø  As regards the MAT website, Joshi said in his report that the tribunal had started its website in July 2013. It was designed by Mahaonline Limited and only had certain basic features. He added that the space provided for the website on the state government’s server is insufficient and therefore, whenever data is required to be uploaded on it, the tribunal has to approach the director, information technology.

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2 YEARS ago , I suggested following :

    Justice delayed is Justice Denied………………………………[ 12 Sept 2018 ]

 

    Extract :

 

MY  TAKE :

If we want to reduce the average “case disposal time “ from 6 YEARS to 6 MONTHS , we must do better than the Chinese – as follows :

Ø  Launch online portal….www.OnlineJustice.gov.in…. having following features / pages / User Interfaces :

           #   Who can register a litigation and how ( detailed form to be filled in )

          #   What kind of complaints can be filed ( Eg; property / divorce / fraud /

                loans etc )

          #   Time frame of hearings ( based on backlog at that point )

          #   Search / Selection of “ empanelled lawyers “ ( with their fees tariff )

         #   Method of conducting “ Online Trial “ ( Audio – Video Conference calls )

         #   Online payment of Court Fees / Lawyer’s fees

        #   Who can “ watch “ the online trial and how ( Video broadcast ) and when

        #   Progress Chart as trial proceeds / Upload – Download of documents

        #   Court Room allotted ( by software ) to each litigation

 

     Not being limited by any “ Physical Constraints “ , it will be possible ( for the

     software ), to open as many “ Virtual / Online “ Court Rooms as required

     

     Only limitation will be the Number of available Judges at any given time

    Let none have doubts about the ability of our Start Ups to design / develop and

    launch such a portal within 6 months , whose “ Conceptual Frame Work “ could

    resemble ,

     

     On Line Jobs Fair   

http://hcpreports.blogspot.com/2016/02/online-jobs-fair.html

    Software Architecture For Online Jobs Fair   

http://hcpreports.blogspot.com/2018/03/software-architecture-for-online-jobs.html

    And as far as finding 10,000 Judges to conduct “ Online Trials “ from the 

    comfort of their homes ( and without imposing any “ Infrastructure Burden “ on

    the State – except providing them with a fast broadband connection , , I 

    suggest that we rope in retired judges on a “ Per Case Retainer “ basis ( paid 

    into their Jan Dhan accounts )

               

   There must be a “ Bonus cum Penalty “ formula to govern the payments to the

   Judges , depending upon the “Actual Time “ taken to dispose off a given case as

   against the “ Target Time “ ( to be computed by Artificial Intelligent Software ,

   based on historical data being continuously compiled for all the cases , once the

   portal gets launched )

          

   I urge Chief Justice Hon Deepak Misraji to treat this email as a PIL and “ direct “

   the NDA government to initiate  action on this suggestion ( I cannot afford a 

   lawyer ! )

   

===================================================

With regards

Hemen Parekh  /   hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  15 Jan 2021