Budget 2023: CJI Chandrachud hails Rs 7,000-crore allocation to e-courts project

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud

The allocation of Rs 7,000 crore for the Phase 3 of e-courts project in the Union Budget 2023 will help to enhance the accessibility of judicial institutions, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud said on February 4.

The CJI noted that the allocation will also help improve the efficiency of the justice delivery system in India. “Such endeavours (e-courts) will ensure that the court truly reaches out to every citizen of the country.”

The allocation for the third phase is a four-fold jump from Rs 1,670 crore granted for the second phase of the digital upgrade of courts in 2015.

Launched in 2005, the project was conceptualised to equip the Indian judiciary with information and communication technology by digitising every facet of litigation from initiation to judgement.

The first phase saw the computerisation of district and taluka courts with Case Information Software (CIS) for providing basic case-related services to litigants and lawyers. The Phase 2 saw the integration of systems across courts in the country and the introduction of the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), a near real-time repository of data on the pendency and disposal of cases.

The CJI was speaking at the first annual lecture series to commemorate the establishment of Supreme Court of India. Chief Justice of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon is the chief guest of the event, where he will deliver a lecture on 'The Role of Judiciary in a Changing World'.

The Supreme Court of India started functioning on January 28, 1950.