New Delhi (Agency): In a recent development that aims to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and fairness of the legal proceedings, the Delhi High Court has instructed all district courts in the city to adopt a standardized online system for filing pleadings, documents, and miscellaneous applications in ongoing cases.
The high court has emphasized that transparency and accountability are crucial in judicial proceedings. A unique filing number should duly acknowledge every application, pleading, or any other submission to the court, which will facilitate traceability and prevent potential disputes or discrepancies related to their submission.
“Given the strict timelines, especially in criminal proceedings, commercial courts, and other time-sensitive matters, an accurate recording of the filing date is of utmost importance. Absence of concrete acknowledgement threatens the very foundation of procedural fairness and efficiency,” stated the bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula in an order dated August 17.
The interim order came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the administrative procedure for acknowledging filings in ongoing cases in Delhi’s district courts. Currently, there is no standardized process for issuing filing numbers or acknowledgment receipts for such submissions.
The counsel for petitioner Karan S Thukral highlighted that the current procedure often relies on an unsupervised drop box or court officials who don’t issue acknowledgments. Such a system has frequently led to lost applications or unverified allegations regarding non-filing of documents. This procedural void has opened doors for potential manipulation, errors, and mismanagement.
Despite initiation of PILs in 2019, the high court noted that a tangible and systematic procedure addressing these concerns remained conspicuously absent in the district courts.
The bench firmly recommended the adoption of a standardized online filing system, recognizing that the initial stages would require resource allocation for training and adaptability from all stakeholders. However, it expressed conviction that, in the long run, the system would usher in greater efficiency, transparency, and reliability.
Temporary measures were directed, including centralizing all filings related to ongoing and pending cases, providing a unique filing number for each submission, and issuing acknowledgment receipts. Staff recruitment or augmentation may be necessary to implement this.
Patiala House Court was chosen as a testing ground for implementing the centralized filing on a trial basis, with the possibility of rolling out the system to other district courts after a review.
The high court also directed all district courts to augment their existing online filing systems and to publish a manual or tutorial elucidating the procedure for e-filing documents, with relevant screenshots, on their websites.
The matter has been listed for review on October 9, when authorities are expected to provide updates regarding the implementation of both the centralized and online systems along with further developments from the Rules Committee of the high court.
