Kerala Introduces First Digital Court for Negotiable Instruments Cases

Supreme Court judge Justice B R Gavai recently inaugurated the country’s first exclusive Digital Court at an event held at the High Court auditorium. During the event, he also launched an online dispute resolution platform, We-Solv Virtual Solution Maker, which aims to facilitate online deliberations by all stakeholders. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who attended the event, inaugurated the Special Courts in Ernakulam and Alappuzha, dedicated to handling cases under the SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the BUDS Act (Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019) respectively. Referring to the technological interventions following the COVID-19 pandemic, Justice Gavai highlighted the swift adoption of virtual hearings by the Supreme Court.

He emphasized the importance of technology in granting access to justice for millions of Indian citizens. Justice Gavai stressed that justice should not be denied based on financial or geographical constraints, expressing confidence that technology will enable easy and affordable justice for every citizen. Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan emphasized the significance of technological advancement for all government organs in adapting to the changing landscape. He emphasized the need to embrace technology while also addressing the challenges it presents.

The event also saw the inauguration of the newly constructed security-cum facilitation block at the high court complex by state Law Minister P Rajeeve and the CCTV surveillance system by Finance Minister K N Balagopal. Nandan Nilekani, the mentor of PUCAR, the knowledge partner of the Open and Networked Court System, also spoke during the event. Several dignitaries, including Supreme Court Justices, Kerala High Court Acting Chief Justice, and other judges, as well as the Chief Justice of India, were supposed to attend the event.