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Given the present scenario, where all other activities has been shifted to a virtual world, right from business enterprises to, the entire education system, the prevalence of electronic mode of governance and justice delivery system should'nt be lagging behind either.
Hence, the virtual world is being addressed as the new normalcy in India and exoectedly all over the world.COVID-19 has led to a worldwide revolution in information and communication technology.
E-governance be generally defined as electronically executed transactions between government agencies and citizens. In India, the e-courts project has been taken up and framed on the basis of 'National Policy and Action Plan for implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Indian Judiciary, back in the year, 2005', a long time ago, prior to the COVID crisis.
The ICT was prepared by the e-committee of the Supreme Court of India . The committee was formed in the year, 2004 to draw an action plan for ICT efficacy of the judiciary under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of India (Chief-cum-Adhoc Chairman). Further, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) first approved the e-courts project, on 8th February, 2007.
The purpose of such act, was to make the justice delivery system affordable, easily accessible to people, cost effective and transparent. Due to the pandemic, the Supreme Court of India issued a suo-moto order on 6th June, 2020 setting out guidelines for courts to function through video conferencing during the COVID pandemic.
Many other countries including U. K and singapore have also adopted certain measures relating to the mode of Justice delivery system functioning in their respective nations. Provisions for e-filing by lawyers have been made at different jurisdictions in order to regulate the functioning of the courts. There has been improvisations in the functioning of district courts as well, the situation led to better functioning of such courts.
Through methods like e-payments, the hindrance of the courts as well as the parties have been mitigated to some extent, besides for people not having access to such means. Likewise, video conferencing measures prevent harassment for the parties, specially in matters of criminal cases, where the subject matter is sensitive and needs to be handled with care, keeping the integrity intact of the parties involved.
Inspite of such positivities that the electronic mode provides, the lawyers not opting for such means proved to be a hindrance for the digital infrastructure to not be prevalent and commonly used, ever since its formation. But, in the present scenario, the COVID crises and the rising positive cases has facilitated the lawyers to address the judicial system through digital infrastructure provided.
Besides that, the entire legal fraternity needs to undergo a reinvent in its existing skill set, in order to adapt with the technology driven mode of justice delivery system ,which is in all probability the need of the hour as well as the times to come in near future. Thus, it's relevance has been felt in by the government and appropriate measures have been taken to the extent possible by the Government, to address the needful.
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