Testing Of E-Filing Software For 24/7 Filing Is At Advanced Stage, Clerks Need Not Come To SC For Filing:Justice Chandrachud, E-Committee Chairman

After delivering the judgment in Madhya Pradesh case today, Justice DY Chandrachud, the head of the Supreme Court E-Committee remarked that the Video Conferencing Hearings are going well.

He said that the the Court is at advanced stage of trial of e-filing software for 24/7 filing of documents etc. and soon the Clerks may not need to come to SC for filing. 

However, the there were some glitches during the video conferencing session of the bench presided by the Chief Justice Of India. 

Last week, the Supreme Court had introduced court proceedings vide video conferencing to avoid the 'people to people' contact. It had also issued a slew of guidelines to streamline the functioning of courts via video conferencing during the COVID-19 lockdown.

•  "All measures that have been and shall be taken by this Court and by the High Courts, to reduce the need for the physical presence of all stakeholders within court premises and to 4 secure the functioning of courts in consonance with social distancing guidelines and best public health practices shall be deemed to be lawful;
  
• The Supreme Court of India and all High Courts are authorized to adopt measures required to ensure the robust functioning of the judicial system through the use of video conferencing technologies;
• Consistent with the peculiarities of the judicial system in every state and the dynamically developing public health situation, every High Court is authorised to determine the modalities which are suitable to the temporary transition to the use of video conferencing technologies;
• The concerned courts shall maintain a helpline to ensure that any complaint in regard to the quality or audibility of feed shall be communicated during the proceeding or immediately after its conclusion failing which no grievance in regard to it shall be entertained thereafter.
• The District Courts in each State shall adopt the mode of Video Conferencing prescribed by the concerned High Court.
• The Court shall duly notify and make available the facilities for video conferencing for such litigants who do not have the means or access to video conferencing facilities. If necessary, in appropriate cases courts may appoint an amicus-curiae and make video conferencing facilities available to such an advocate.
• Until appropriate rules are framed by the High Courts, video conferencing shall be mainly employed for hearing arguments whether at the trial stage or at the appellate stage. In no case shall evidence be recorded without the mutual consent of both the parties by video conferencing. If it is necessary to record evidence in a Court room the presiding officer shall ensure that appropriate distance is maintained between any two individuals in the Court.
• The presiding officer shall have the power to restrict entry of persons into the court room or the points from which the arguments are addressed by the advocates. No presiding officer shall prevent the entry of a party to the case unless such party is suffering from any infectious illness. However, where the number of litigants are many the presiding officer shall have the power to restrict the numbers. The presiding officer shall in his discretion adjourn the proceedings where it is not possible to restrict the number.

Justice Chandrachud had also conferred with HC Judges On Video-Conferencing & Web Hosting Of Proceedings.

In September 2018, the Supreme Court held that the Court proceedings shall be live-streamed in the larger public interest. The Bench has said that appropriate Rules in that regard will be framed soon under Article 145 of the Constitution of India.