The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on March 17 remarked that the government allocated Rs 7,000 crore towards the eCourts project as per the judiciary’s demand, without cutting a single rupee.
The CJI further said that if a demand is made to the government with a proper explanation, it will be considered.
CJI made these observations while hearing a case seeking the conversion of land allocated to SC into chambers for lawyers, as an example of the government being receptive to suggestions on the administrative side. On March 2, CJI and the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Vikas Singh were involved in a heated exchange when the latter complained to the CJI about the case not being taken up for hearing on many previous occasions.
The altercation led to CJI constituting a new bench specifically to hear the case. The bench comprised Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and PS Narasimha.
Today, Singh clarified that the bar stands with the institution and will not do anything to undermine the majesty of the institution. He then proceeded to tell the court about hardships that the lawyers face as they do not have space in the court premises to accommodate clients or hold meetings.
Senior Counsel Meenakshi Arora appeared for Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association and many Advocates on Record (AoRs) who are required by law to have chambers in the proximity of the SC, do not have it owing to space crunch.
Upon hearing the submissions, the bench opined that they can take the issue up with the government administratively, rather than passing orders from the judiciary. The CJI cited the example of allocation of the Rs 7,000 crore to say that the government engages on the administrative side.
Upon being asked for his opinion on the issue, Attorney General R Venkataramani also agreed with the court’s opinion that the issue can be sorted out in a better fashion if taken up administratively.
The bench, on hearing the submissions of all the parties, told the lawyers that they will reflect on the issue and pass necessary orders.
Also Read: CJI Chandrachud hails Rs 7,000-crore allocation to e-courts project
Budgetary allocation for eCourts:
In the 2023 Union Budget, the government allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the third phase of the eCourts project.
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. 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.
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