By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 13 Apr: On the second and concluding day of the North Zone-II Regional Conference organised by the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts, as well as Judges from District Courts, actively participated in the event.
Justice Rajesh Bindal spoke about the progress of the E-Courts Project, emphasising that it is being implemented in a phased manner across the judiciary. He highlighted how virtual courts are being effectively used to swiftly dispose of cases such as online traffic challans. Presenting data, he mentioned that around 5.23 crore court orders/judgments have been uploaded so far, but only 2.18 crore have been downloaded—indicating a lack of awareness among litigants. He also stressed the need for further enhancement of infrastructure to support the project.
Justice M Sundar highlighted data security as one of the major challenges in the present time. He stressed the importance of having contingency plans in place in case of data collapse and suggested that data should be backed up on multiple servers. He also appreciated the commendable efforts of the E-Seva initiative and shared insights about some legal translation software tools.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva elaborated on the role of E-Services, pointing out that any change in the system often faces resistance due to human nature, which takes time to adapt. He also discussed in detail the concepts of expeditious and empowered justice.
Both Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and M Sundar shared their perspectives on the use of Artificial Intelligence in drafting judicial orders and explored the extent to which AI can assist in the judiciary. They discussed the potential challenges and raised concerns about accountability in the event of legal harm caused by AI-generated decisions. They also elaborated on how to tackle emerging issues such as online abuse and violence.
Finally, Justice Ravindra Maithani of the Uttarakhand High Court delivered the closing remarks. He extended gratitude to the Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and the District Court Judges who participated in the conference. The event concluded with feedback from the participants.
