Union Cabinet approves Phase 3 of e-Courts project for a period of four years

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the third phase of the eCourts project as a central government scheme for a period of four years (from 2023). 7210 crore rupees is expected to be spent for this.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath , Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’ , the eCourts Mission Mode project is a key element in improving the process of justice delivery using technology. 

As a part of the National e-Governance Plan , the e-Court project for Information Technology ( ICT) empowerment of the Indian Judiciary has been under implementation since 2007 , with its second phase ending in 2023. The third phase of India’s e-Court project is built on the principles of ‘easy accessibility and inclusiveness’.

Taking forward the success of the first and second phases , adopting digital transactions, digitizing all records including legacy records, making court operations online and paperless , and universalizing e-filing/e-payment by connecting all court complexes with e-service centres, etc. 

E-Courts Phase- III aims to further facilitate the process of administration of justice . Due to this, while planning or prioritizing cases ,An intelligent smart system will be established to enable judges and registries to take data-based decisions. A major objective of the third phase is to provide a common technology platform for the judiciary , which will create seamless and paperless coordination between courts , litigants and other stakeholders.

E-Courts Phase III is a Central Government Scheme , Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India , and eCommittee, Supreme Court , to develop a justice system that enhances access to justice by making it accessible to all , cost-effective , reliable, predictable and transparent to beneficiaries . It is being implemented in a decentralized manner through the respective High Courts under their joint partnership.

Details of e-Courtus Phase- III are as follows:

The expected outcomes of the scheme are as follows:

• Citizens without access to technology will be able to access court services through e-seva centers , thereby bridging the digital divide. 
• Digitization of court records will form the basis for all other digital services in the project. This will reduce paper filing and reduce the physical exchange of documents , enabling the entire process to become environmentally complementary.
• Court proceedings in virtual medium will reduce costs associated with court proceedings such as travel expenses of  witnesses , judges and relevant persons.
• Court fees , fines can be paid from anywhere at any time.
• Expansion of e-filing to reduce the time and effort involved in filing documents. As documents are automatically checked, human error is reduced and paper-based records are held back.
• By creating a smart ecosystem , using the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence and the same machine learning ( ML), optical character recognition (OCR), natural language processing (NLP), to provide users with a user-friendly experience. Fewer entries will lead to less scrutiny of the file , thereby facilitating better decision-making and strategic planning. This includes the idea of smart scheduling and intelligent systems that will enable judges and related systems to make data-based decisions and better predict the capacity of judges and lawyers.
• The expansion of virtual courts beyond the adjudication of cases related to traffic violations does not require the presence of litigants or lawyers in court.
• Brings more accuracy and transparency in court proceedings.
• Further expansion of NSTEP ( National Servicing and Tracking of Electronic Processes) focuses on automated delivery of court summons ,