New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken further steps to digitise the judiciary by asking high courts in the country to make e-filing of petitions mandatory from January 1 next year before them in certain types of cases. In a communication of October 9, the chairman of the E-Committee of the apex court has asked the high courts registries to ensure "e-filing of cases/petitions by the government in all types of matters to be made mandatory from January 1, 2022. After such a date, there should be no physical filing of cases by the government in any matter."
The letter assumes significance in view of the fact that the judiciary, after being hit by COVID-19 and consequential restrictions imposed in March 2020, has been forced to take recourse to the technology and has been conducting hearings through video conferencing.
"E-filing is to be made compulsory for all, in some categories of matters like revenue, tax, arbitration, commercial disputes and any other category as deemed fit by the high court...," reads the letter. Lawsuits for money recovery, cheque bounce complaints, applications for maintenance, petitions for divorce by mutual consent and bail applications can also be considered for mandatory e-filing, the letter said.