Initiated under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project—conceptualised by the Supreme Court’s e-Committee and developed by NIC—virtual courts in India have evolved from pandemic-era necessity to a permanent part of the judicial system.
India has 30 Virtual Courts for online adjudication of minor offences like traffic challans. The Supreme Court holds fully virtual proceedings every Monday and Friday.
Need for Digitisation of Judiciary
- Improved Access: Digital courts enable affordable and timely justice for rural citizens, persons with disabilities and geographically distant litigants.
- Reduced Pendency: E-filing, virtual hearings and automated case management expedite disposal, helping address 5.2+ crore pending cases nationwide.
- Greater Transparency: Digital records, online cause lists and live-streaming enhance judicial accountability while strengthening public trust in the justice system.
- Efficient Governance: Integrated platforms such as e-Courts, ICJS and e-Sewa Kendras improve coordination, reduce paperwork and enable data-driven judicial administration.
Benefits of Virtual Courts and Judicial Digitisation
- Inclusive Access: Online hearings assist women, senior advocates, and people with disabilities facing mobility or caregiving issues.
- Backlog Relief: E-filing, digital summons, and automated petty-offence disposal free judicial time for complex cases, reducing judicial pendency.
- Climate Gains: Paperless proceedings and reduced travel lower resource consumption, logistical delays, and the judiciary’s operational carbon footprint.
- Cost Reduction: Digital proceedings lower infrastructure costs, incidental litigation, and security expenses for transporting prisoners to physical courtrooms.
Government Initiatives for Digitisation of the Judiciary
- e-Courts Mission Mode Project: Digitised courts through e-filing, e-payments, e-summons, NJDG and integrated case management for faster justice delivery.
- Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS): Integrates courts, police, prisons, prosecution and forensics, enabling seamless information sharing across criminal justice institutions.
- Virtual Courts Project: Established 30 Virtual Courts for completely online adjudication of traffic challans and other minor offences nationwide.
- e-Sewa Kendras: Provide assisted e-filing, virtual hearing access, certified copies and digital legal services, improving last-mile judicial accessibility.
- SUPACE: Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency uses AI to assist judges in legal research, translation, document analysis and case management.
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Key Concerns and Implementation Challenges
- Profiling Risk: ICJS integration may enable comprehensive citizen profiling, potentially violating privacy protections recognised in the Puttaswamy judgment.
- Digital Divide: Unreliable internet access, limited digital devices, and low technological literacy exclude many rural litigants and small-town legal practitioners.
- Cyber Threats: Data breaches, hacking, identity misuse, and unauthorised recordings can compromise confidential proceedings and sensitive judicial information.
- Openness Compromise: Restricted virtual links or the absence of live-streaming can weaken the constitutional principle of publicly accessible court proceedings.
Way Forward
- Data Governance: Mandate purpose limitation, data localisation, access controls, and audit trails across interconnected justice databases.
- Last-Mile Access: Expand e-Sewa Kendras, deploy mobile video-conferencing units, and set up digital desks at the panchayat level.
- Cybersecurity Framework: Use end-to-end encryption and customised indigenous software to protect judicial data and confidential proceedings.
- Hybrid Model: Retain routine arguments and summary cases online while conducting sensitive evidentiary proceedings primarily through physical hearings.
- Open-Court Safeguards: Codify guidelines for listing all virtual hearing links, mandate live-streaming of non-sensitive cases, and in-camera proceedings for sexual offences and family disputes.
Digitisation must ensure accessible, accountable and secure justice, transforming “justice delayed” into “justice delivered” while upholding constitutional values.
Reference: The Indian Express | PMFIAS: AI in Indian Judiciary
PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 750
Approach
- Introduction: Write a brief introduction about the digitisation of India’s judiciary.
- Body: Write about the benefits of digitisation of India’s judiciary, implementation challenges and the reforms required for an efficient and accountable judicial ecosystem.
- Conclusion: Emphasis on inclusive, secure and technology-driven judicial reforms to ensure accessible, transparent and efficient justice delivery.
