LI Network
Published on: 29 January, 2024 at 14:30 IST
In a significant move aimed at modernizing legal reporting, the Supreme Court has introduced the ‘Digital Supreme Court Reports,’ a digital rendition of its official law report featuring judgments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Digital SCR, alongside the launch of Digital Courts 2.0 and the revamped Supreme Court website. This unveiling took place as part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud highlighted that the Digital SCR offers unrestricted and free access to Supreme Court judgments.
The Editorial Wing of the Supreme Court of India, in collaboration with the Technical Wing and Judges Library, is responsible for the development of this initiative.
The official statement on the website described the Digital SCR as the “official law report of the Supreme Court judgments in India,” signifying a transformative era in presenting judgments through a digital, open-access format.
This groundbreaking step replaces the conventional print editions, providing a valuable resource for law students, emerging legal professionals, and the general public, all while contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions.
The statement outlined key features of the Digital SCR initiative, stating, “Firstly, the initiative pioneers a fortnightly release schedule, facilitating the rapid dissemination of the latest judgments. Secondly, it exclusively publishes reports in digital form, eliminating the need for print production and substantially reducing environmental impact. Thirdly, an intuitive and user-friendly website is in development, aimed at optimizing navigation and enhancing the overall user experience. Lastly, adopting an open-access approach, the initiative offers free entry to law students, aspiring lawyers, and the wider public.”
The Digital SCR is accessible at https://digiscr.sci.gov.in.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had previously launched the e-SCR last year, a digital search tool for judgments, which is freely accessible. Additionally, neutral citations were implemented for Supreme Court judgments as part of these ongoing efforts to modernize legal reporting.
