My Chambers Are Almost Paperless, I Don't Receive Any Physical Files: CJI DY Chandrachud Pushes For Digitizing Court Records, E-Filing

Chief Justice of India Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Monday revealed that his chambers are almost paperless since all his notes and case files are received in digital format. "I don't receive any physical files from Courts. My Law Clerks send me all notes digitally and my chambers is almost paperless," he said.The CJI was delivering his inaugural speech at the opening of District Court Digitization Hubs (DCDH) in 10 districts of Odisha in virtual mode in the presence of Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and the Judges of High Court. Orissa High Court as a Role Model At the outset, the CJI apprised the audience that the inauguration ceremony is the third event of the Orissa High Court in the last three months, where he is invited as a guest. He said, it is a testament to the vision of Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar that the Orissa High Court would lead the path for the Judiciary in works related to e-initiatives. He mentioned the recently concluded High Court Chief Justices Conference which was held as a part of the Constitution Day celebration, where discussions and deliberations were made to devise ways to make justice more accessible. "All of you would be very happy to note that Odisha's e-committee related work was discussed as a role-model and many High Courts took inspiration from the work that Odisha has done. In fact, in the course of our deliberations, I requested all the Chief Justices of the High Courts and the members of the ICT committees to visit Odisha, to see the actual work which is going on particularly in the context of digitisation", the CJI added. Empowering Trial Courts The CJI expressed his pleasure to inaugurate the initiative as it was an infrastructure which is built for Trial Courts. He said, "I have continuously emphasized on the importance of prioritizing our Trial Courts, which are the most critical cog of our judicial system. Not only are they the backbone of the judiciary but they are also the first and for a majority of people, the only interaction with our institution. Therefore, the infrastructure at the Trial Courts is of the utmost priority." Benefits of Digitization of Records CJI Chandrachud said, digitizing judicial records is an important step in the modernization of the justice delivery system. He fondly recalled his virtual participation in the event which was organised to commemorate the first anniversary of the Record Room Digitization Centre (RRDC), Orissa High Court. "The work done at the High Court has been impressive. It has clearly shown us the benefits of digitization and has set a clear path for the District Court Digitization Hubs", he added. By digitizing the records, he said, we can make them more accessible, efficient and secure. One of the main benefits of digitizing judicial records is that it allows for easier access to these records by authorized individuals and persons. In the past, judicial records were often kept in physical files, which meant that they were difficult to access unless the person is physically present at the courthouse. This made it difficult for lawyers, judges and other legal professionals to access the information they needed to do their jobs effectively. Highlighting another benefit of digitizing judicial records, he said that it can make the justice-delivery system more efficient. In the past, a lot of time was spent on tasks such as searching for and organising physical files. By digitizing these records, we can make it much easier to search for and organise information, which save time and reduce the workload on legal professionals. Further he said, in addition to making the justice system more efficient, digitizing judicial records can also make it more secure. Physical files are vulnerable to loss, damage and theft which can compromise the integrity of the information they contain. Digital records, on the other hand, can be stored securely and can be backed up regularly. He highlighted his own penchant for utilising technology and said, "Now, would you believe that my last few sentences where I recounted the benefits of digitizing Court records was not written by me at all. All that was written, word to word, was by the Open AI's Chat GPT tool. I have been hearing about it and as many of you know, I am a self-confessed technology-geek. I don't receive any physical files from Courts. My Law Clerks send me all notes digitally and my chambers is almost paperless. So, I thought I must try this tool for myself and I was stunned to see the result." Need for Adapting to Technology The CJI acknowledged that adapting to change and especially technology is overwhelming, especially for the older generations. He confessed that he also had a "very steep learning curve" but he reassured, "…this really is the future and once you cross the learning curve, as many have been considering...

My Chambers Are Almost Paperless, I Don't Receive Any Physical Files: CJI DY Chandrachud Pushes For Digitizing Court Records, E-Filing

Jyoti Prakash Dutta

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