CJI Surya Kant Inaugurates First Fully Paperless District Judiciary At Kerala's Wayanad, Says It 'Democratises' Access To Justice

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday (January 6) virtually inaugurated the implementation of paperless courts in the judicial district of Kalpetta in Wayanad at the Kerala High Court Auditorium.

This marks the first instance in which an entire district judiciary has become fully paperless in end-to-end functioning. All filings would be received electronically, scrutinised digitally and made available instantaneously to the courts through the District Court Case Management System (DCMS) developed by the High Court.

"When we deliberate on the law or the justice system, we often think of it as a monumental edifice, a structure built of stone, tradition and historically, mountains of parchment. But today, as we gather across, this digital interface to inaugurate this paperless courts of Wayanad, we acknowledge a profound shift in our constitutional geometry. We realise that a court is not merely a physical destination, it is a pervasive service. In the emerald heart of Wayanad, a land that understands the sanctity of the old and the necessity of the new, we are shedding the tyranny of the file. We are moving away towards a system of technological neutrality and this crystalline transparency...By digitising our courts, we are practicing, what I would like to call, 'green jurisprudence'," the Chief Justice began his inaugural address.

In his speech, Justice Surya Kant highlighted how the paperless system would bring everyone closer access to the justice delivery system, bridging physical gaps.

"The pursuit of human justice no longer demands the sacrifice of our natural heritage. But this is more than an environmental win, it is an act of substantive equality. In a paper-based system, access often depended on one's proximity to the record room or the quickness of one's brief. Today, we democratise that access to the conceptualisation of the in-house district court case management system developed by the High Court of Kerala and that system completely obviates the need for any form of physical filing and it provides all stakeholders with realtime access to compute electronic case records of court proceedings. Thus, whether the petitioner is in the heart of Kalpetta, or a remote corner of the district, the single source of truth, namely the digital record is equally available, equally immediate and equally incorruptible. This transition is not merely about replacing a physical folder with a PDF file. Rather, it is about procedural parsimony...In this new system, every entry is a digital footprint that cannot be erased, ensuring a level of algorithmic accountability that was previously unimaginable."

The Chief Justice asked the members of the bar to embrace this new change, which he felt, would free the mind and, strengthen the legal

"To the members of the bar who are gracing this occasion, especially our seniors, who have spent a lifetime mastering the tactile art of the physical brief, I understand that this change feels like an upheaval of tradition but I must remind you all that tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire. The fire is our commitment to the rule of law and the ashes are the inefficient matters of the past. We are not changing the law or the way it is practiced. We are simply, sharpening the tools used to serve it. This is a human-centric transformation where the machine does not replace the mind. It only liberates the mind."

Justice Surya Kant ended his speech by congratulating the Kerala High Court and the Kalpetta district courts for being a pioneer of modernity in the justice system.

"As I conclude, let us look at the horizon. Today, Wayanad has become more than a district in Kerala. It has become a beacon of modernity for the entire Indian judiciary. We are proving that the most ancient principles of justice can be delivered through the most modern means. We are ensuring that the law is not a static relic but a living, breathing and equitable reach for every citizen. It is with a deep sense of responsibility and immense hope for the future that I congratulate the Kerala High Court and the Kalpetta district courts on this commendable achievement. May this digital frontier lead us to swifter, clearer and more accessible justice for all."

After concluding his speech, the Chief Justice unveiled the digital plaque and formally inaugurated the implementation of paperless courts in Kalpetta.

The keynote address was delivered by Justice Vikram Nath, the Chairperson of the eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, who had also joined the event online.

In his speech, Justice Nath remarked that this event is not merely an inauguration of a technological initiative but the culmination of a thoughtful and purpose-driven journey that reflect the judiciary's continuous efforts to strengthen the justice delivery system.

"Every reform in the justice system must ultimately answer a single question: does it bring justice closer to the citizen? The initiative we mark today is grounded in that very purpose. The Kalpetta judicial district has achieved a distinction of national importance...Wayanad with its distinctive geography and ecological sensitivity is often perceived as remote. Yet, it is here that one of the most forward looking judicial reform in the country has taken shape. This underscores an important truth: innovation is not exclusively confined to metropolitan centres. When thoughtfully deployed, technology bridges distance and brings justice closer to the people itself."

Justice Nath's speech touched upon the fact that traditionally, courts have been one of the largest consumers of paper and that this move reflects on the resolve to reduce ecological footprint by almost eliminating paper use. 

With the increasing demands on the justice delivery system and expectation of timely justice, digitisation would equip courts to function with greater efficiency in "a world that no longer moves at the pace of paper," he added.

Justice Vikram Nath reflected that while we welcome the innovation and its benefits, we must not forget to acknowledge paper's role in the judiciary.

"As we reflect on the idea of paperless courts, it is important to acknowledge the role paper has played in the history of the judiciary. For generations, it has been the custodian of legal memory. The transition we witness today is not a rejection of that legacy. It is rather an acceptance of a simple reality: institutions must evolve if they are to remain effective." 

Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Nitin Jamdar gave the presidential address.

Justice Jamdar outlined how the introduction of paperless court would increase transparency while reducing clerical delays and expenses for litigants. It would improve court record-keeping and smoother court proceedings.

"Introducing technology in judicial process is not for a novelty value but every technological change in judicial system must have potential to help the litigants. Keeping that objective in mind, the present initiative was introduced providing both speed and convenience in judicial dispensation. This project is an important step towards more modern and people-friendly justice system...Kalpetta paperless court show how technology, when used meaningfully, can make justice and courts more accessible, efficient and user-friendly," reflected Justice Nitin Jamdar.

Dr. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar delivered the special address. He mentioned how the AI tool, which powers the paperless system in the Kalpetta judicial district, uses reliable data that is already captured by the District Court Management System, and thereby, overcomes the global limitation on AI tools' inability to reproduce satisfactory results owing to a lack of reliable data that is used for machine learning.

Justice Nambiar congratulated the IT team and team at Kalpetta for this achievement:

"From an institutional perspective therefore this initiative demonstrates the capability of systems developed in-house to deliver the expected results without relying on third-party proprietary platforms. And I think this unique feature of the IT system here is one that is worthy of emulations...May our State continue to work towards building a future-ready justice delivery system."

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. delivered the opening remarks and gave an introduction of what it means to be completely paperless, from the very inception of a case. He remarked that the present technological innovation preserves the traditional judicial workflow while enhancing it through digital means.

"The transformation was achieved through cooperation. The bar was consulted, the court staff were trained and practical concerns were addressed. The success of this initiative belongs equally to the judges, lawyers, clerks and technical teams, who worked together with a shared purpose," spoke Justice Raja.

Justice Anil K. Narendran gave the closing remarks and the vote of thanks. 

"This initiative represents a decisive step taken, a more efficient, transparent and citizen-centric justice delivery system in the country, which is in tune with the vision for the futurist justice system in India. The entire credit goes to the IT team of our High Court headed by brother Justice Mustaque and ably assisted by brother Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan."

He also mentioned that two more projects are being developed, one of which is to provide a seamless online mediation platform and the other is for monitoring the activities undertaken by the High Court Legal Services Committee. 

Justice Murali Purushothaman, administrative judge in charge of Kalpetta Judicial district, Principal District Judge of Kalpetta Ayyoobkhan E., Kapetta Bar Association Shyju Manisseril, and Mananthavady Advocate Clerks' Association Secretary E.K. Janardhanan shared the dais with the speakers. 

Minister for Law, Industries and Coir, Shri. P. Rajeev, Advocate General of Kerala K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, Bar Council of Kerala Secretary Rajkumar K.R. and Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) President Peeyus A. Kottam also spoke on the occasion.