• The E-committee of the Supreme Court on Tuesday launched several mobile applications for the benefit of litigants and lawyers.

About:

• Launch of apps for services such as e-filing along with user manual, e-payment options, National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NTSEP), Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), and awareness guide for services offered under the e-Courts program.
• National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NTSEP)-it will solve the pending cases by fast tracking summons. With this app, he said, summons will now be available on mobile phones, making the process smoother.
• Through e-payment options it would be possible to pay court fees, fine, penalty and various other fees online.
• e-filing makes litigants to file cases online in the Supreme Court and High Courts across the country from subordinate courts and litigants won’t have to physically travel to the apex court and High Courts to file them.
• The entire e-courts project has been on free open source software, saving more than Rs. 1,670 crores for the public exchequer.
• The motive behind the launch is digital inclusion, it means serving the entire citizenry of the country by digitally connecting them making litigants feel comfortable in courtrooms.
• With this app, summons will now be available on mobile phones, the process of 25 to 30 per cent cases would speed up which were delayed because of delay in services of summons.

Background:

• The Government is implementing a project for computerization of District & Subordinate Courts in the country and for upgradation of ICT infrastructure of the Supreme Court and the High Courts under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project (MMP).
• An E-Committee of the Supreme Court was constituted which is chaired by the Chief Justice of India to give overall policy directions to fulfilment of e-court programme.
• An Empowered Committee has been constituted in the Department of Justice to provide strategic direction and guidance to the e-courts Mission Mode Project.
• This Committee also has representative from the E-Committee of the Supreme Court

Impact:

• Reduce the paper work. Which will lead to Ease of record maintenance .
• Allow the judges to see e-files for review.
• Can be used by judge, judicial fraternity to review the case.
• Use as a backup by concern persons who have some doubt about the authenticity of the documents.
• Different courts will be able to share the information online.
• Court, Hospitals, FSL, Jail can simultaneously share their presentations/documents and other information online in a secured mode.
• The documents of high secrecy which cannot be moved out of the department but needs to be shared with other agencies can be directly presented and discussed upon.
• Travel and other related cost will be saved.