PM Modi says this is another step towards modernisation of courts

~By Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

Come July and the apex court will mark a new era. The Supreme Court will go digital by rolling out Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS). On the launch of ICMIS on May 10, Justice Dipak Misra said this would empower the litigant.

It was inaugurated on May 10 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice JS Khehar.

The Supreme Court Computer Committee chairman will now be Justice Ajay Khanwilkar, it was announced.

Modi had said at the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Allahabad High Court on April 2 that technology should be used to ease the working of the courts. On Wednesday, Chief Justice JS Khehar said the decision to introduce digitisation was taken in March.

The system has simplified processes. In filing an appeal in the Supreme Court all that a lawyer has to give is the number of the case in the high court, and the file will be transferred to the Supreme Court. The lawyer has to mention the ground of appeal.

This also helps the client to know the process fee. It will also keep the litigant in the loop. He will know at what stage a case is at any point of time.

The other good thing is that the lawyer can do the e-filing from his chamber.

Justice Khehar said he wants to take the system to all high courts and district courts. It is a transparent system, he said. Every part of the filing process is monitored. The timelines are not breached.

Justice Khanwilkar said: “This software is not limited to filing cases. It is litigant-friendly. It rationalises human and time resources. It has already been connected to all police stations. We plan to connect all jails too. Visitors can obtain information from the website.”

The listing of cases will be through e-processing. Oldest cases will be listed first.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “The government is leading innovation and the Supreme Court has become innovative. India missed the industrial revolution, missed the entrepreneurial revolution, but should not miss the digital revolution. That was the mission laid out by Prime Minister Modi.”

Para-legal volunteers in gram panchayats to offer advice at pre-litigation level. This will be taken up initially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir panchayats, says Prasad.

Modi stepped up to speak. He spoke in Hindi, saying: “Buddh Purnima, it’s a holiday, we are working. Aadhunikata ke taraf ek aur qadam (another step towards modernisation).”

He complimented Justice Khehar for asking the judiciary to cut off vacation time.

Said Modi: “In the olden days, there used to be a flower vase on the table of an officer. Now, it is a big computer, which is rarely opened. We send an sms, and ring up to find out whether the sms has reached.”

Referring to Chief Justice Khehar as “chief saheb” Modi says: “An A4 sheet of paper needs 10 litres of water for it to be produced.” With his usual penchant for using abbreviations, he said: “IT + IT = IT, which is Information Technology + Indian Talent = India Tomorrow.

“Artificial Intelligence will soon dominate the world,” said Modi. “A day will come when we will be irrelevant.” He referred to the third umpire in cricket. “Technology helps,” he said.

Justice Jasti Chelameswar said computerisation programme in courts started in 1997. This day is the fruition of all efforts.