Lok Sabha Question No. 3535 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: E-filing in Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3535

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 17 th  MARCH, 2021

## E-filing in Courts

## 3535. SHRI B. B. PATIL:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Indian courts have adopted the method of e-filing;
- (b) if so, the details of the courts where e-filing is compulsory; and
- (c)  the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce paper wastage and to eliminate the burden of court cases in Indian
- judiciary?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (c):  The eCommittee of the Supreme Court has designed and rolled out  in  the  year  2018,  an  e-filing  system  Version  1.0  and  created  a  portal (efiling.ecourts.gov.in) for this purpose. The portal enables electronic filing of legal papers. E-filing being the principal foundation for future technological  enhancement  in  the  Indian  Judiciary,  Version  1.0  is  already available in High Courts and District Courts.

The e-Filing application is integrated into the District Court CIS 3.2 & High Court CIS 1.0 software. The upgraded Version 2.0 and Version 3.0 for e-filing with enhanced user-friendly features have also been developed by e-Committee, Supreme Court of India. Upgraded version of eFiling software application have been developed with the latest features like  Advocate  Portfolio,  Advocate  Clerk  entry  module,  Calendar  and integration with social media platforms etc. Draft Model e-filing rules have been  framed  and  circulated  by  the  eCommittee  of  the  Supreme  Court  for adoption  by  the  various  High  Courts  to  develop  a  standard  operating procedure.  Keeping  in  view  the  present  state  of  preparedness  of  courts, lawyers  and  litigants, the  timing for mandatory  efiling of all cases/ documents is yet premature.

Establishment of Virtual Courts have helped to reduce paper wastage and to eliminate the burden of court cases. Virtual Courts have been rolled out  to  try  traffic  challan  cases  and  have  met  with  appreciable  results. Presently there are 9 such courts in 7 States viz Delhi (2 courts), Faridabad (Haryana), Pune & Nagpur (Maharashtra) Kochi (Kerala), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Gauhati (Assam) and Bengaluru (Karnataka ) . Environment friendly, these Virtual Courts enable adjudication of cases in paperless manner with e-payment  of  the  fine  imposed.  The  litigants  can  file  the  complaint electronically through e-filing, appears before a Judge virtually and also pay the  court  fees  or  fine  online.  To  reduce  the  burden  of  court  cases,  the Government  has  adopted  a  co-ordinated  approach  to  assist  judiciary  for phased  liquidation  of  arrears  and  pendency  in  judicial  systems,  through various  strategic  initiatives  like  improving  the  infrastructure  for  courts including  computerization,  increase  in  strength  of  judicial  officers/judges

and filling up of vacant positions in High Courts/Supreme Court, policy and legislative measures  in  areas  prone  to  excessive  litigation, repeal of outdated and archaic laws, initiatives to fast track special type of cases and emphasis on Alternate Dispute Resolution etc.

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