HI-TECH JUDICIARY
Information and Communication Technology Enablement of Indian Judiciary – towards easy fast and cheap justice
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has inaugurated the Five-year Project for Information and Communication Technology Enablement of Indian Judiciary yesterday evening. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Singh emphasized the need to increase the speed of disposal of cases and reduce pendency and devise ways to ensure that justice becomes easier, faster and cheaper. He said, a stable and sound legal system which dispensed effective justice was an essential pre-requisite for the sustained economic growth.
Affirming his Government’s fullest support to the computerization scheme to streamline judiciary, Dr. Singh asserted that the Government would work hand-in-hand with judiciary to enable it to play its role in the modernization of the economy.
Chief Justice Lahoti said this comprehensive Action Plan provides for diverse initiatives like provision of computers with broadband internet access in all 2500 court complexes across the country, laptops for approximately 15,000 District and subordinate court judges, extensive ICT training to judges and court staff, extension of computer facilities from filing counters to judges’ chambers and residential offices, gradual extension of these facilities to all branches and sections of court Registry, facilities for video conferencing between under-trials and the courts, digital archiving, use of advanced ICT tools including biometric facilities, information gateway interface between the court and the governmental agencies, and providing the Wi-Fi system at Supreme Court and High Courts.
The Chief Justice further said that the total estimated cost over the entire period of five years is only Rs 854 crores, not too huge a sum, if seen in the context of larger objectives and the expected benefits. Justice Lahoti said that the implementation of this project in judicial sector will embark upon a challenging journey of change. He said that E-governance has the potential to impact all areas including systems, processes and most importantly the institutional human resources. He further said that the computerization would help in providing speedy, qualitative and cost effective justice, reduce harassment and corruption and enhance transparency and accountability.