LI Network
Published on: January 10, 2024 at 16:40 IST
The Delhi High Court has mandated electronic filing (e-filing) for civil and criminal cases across all District Courts in the national capital, along with the digitization of records for concluded cases.
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed the implementation of a “Centralized Filing System” for ongoing cases, making e-filing of pleadings, documents, and interim applications mandatory as per the High Court’s e-filing Rules of 2021.
The Court’s recent order, issued on January 4, emphasized the expansion of mandatory e-filing to cover all remaining civil jurisdictions and criminal complaint cases within the District Courts.
Presently, e-filing is mandatory only for certain cases like commercial disputes, section 138 complaints of the Negotiable Instruments Act, and all appeals and revisions.
Additionally, the court highlighted the need for digitization of records for concluded cases and instructed the Registrar General to commence digitization in a dedicated manner across all District Courts.
The process aims to weed out unnecessary files within three weeks and create a structured process for historical or minor cases.
To supervise this process, a committee was formed consisting of Senior District Judge rank officers, records room officers, and superintendents, mandated to conduct fortnightly reviews and submit reports to the Principal District & Sessions Judge. Moreover, all District Courts are required to submit a quarterly report by April 15, 2024, to the High Court’s Registrar General for review.
The Court stressed the importance of providing certified copies of records promptly and advocated gradually discouraging physical filings in jurisdictions already under the e-filing rules.
This move towards a more robust e-filing system in Delhi’s District judiciary was proposed in the interest of all stakeholders, aiming for a smoother, digitized process.
This decision comes after a public interest litigation addressing the lack of standardized procedures for acknowledging filings in Delhi’s district courts. Previously, in October, the court directed the immediate transmission of case records to the record room post-disposal.
In August, it had instructed the adoption of a standardized online filing system until appropriate rules were in place.