The Supreme Court is preparing to host a national conference addressing challenges faced by district courts. The conference will feature sessions on judicial reforms, technology integration, human resources, and professional growth. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with other senior justices, will lead the discussions.
NEW DELHI: On January 31, 2025, the Supreme Court announced that it will organize a national conference on February 1, focused on addressing the challenges faced by the district judiciary. The conference will have four main technical sessions, each aiming to improve the efficiency and functioning of the judicial system across India.
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Session 1
The first session will be chaired by the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, with a focus on bringing together the knowledge and experience of each high court. The goal is to discuss judicial reforms that will help in the timely and efficient disposal of cases.
“The first session would also comprise discussions on the implementation of the policy and action plan for 2024 prepared by the national court management systems committee, which identifies bottlenecks in case disposal and provides strategies to reduce the backlog of cases.”
The session will include discussions on issues related to family courts and special courts. There will also be talks about exploring the possibility of evening courts, which could provide more flexibility for case hearings. Another important aspect of the discussion will be the use of alternate dispute resolution methods to speed up the case disposal process.
Session 2
The second session will be chaired by Justice B R Gavai, and will focus on the categorization of cases and the use of technology in delivering justice.
“The (second) session proposes to discuss uniform nomenclature and code for each case category, incorporating the use of information technology such as digital courts, software, e-filing, virtual courts, video conferencing, transcription facility, etc., along with effective use of e-sewa kendras/e-kiosks.”
One of the major highlights will be the digitization of case records, which will help in quicker access and management of information. The introduction of the e-Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal will also be a key discussion point, as it is expected to streamline the process of handling motor accident claims.
Session 3
Justice Surya Kant will chair the third session, which will address issues related to human resources in the district judiciary. There will be discussions on the timely recruitment of judicial officers and court staff. The session will also cover the need for the continual recruitment of public prosecutors, legal aid counsels, and defence counsels.
“Timely and institutionalised recruitment of judicial officers and court staff, continual recruitment/empanelment of public prosecutors/legal aid counsels/legal aid defence counsels and creation of a permanent IT and data cadre in all high courts and district courts will be deliberated upon,” the press release stated.
The establishment of a dedicated IT and data cadre in all high courts and district courts will be crucial for better case management and administrative efficiency.
Session 4
The final session will focus on improving the professional capabilities of judicial officers. The session will discuss how to enhance career progression and establish a system for continuous performance evaluation of judicial officers. There will be talks on mentoring judicial officers through inspecting judges and state judicial academies.
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“The sessions would be chaired by the CJI,” the press release mentioned, underscoring the importance of this initiative.
Additionally, the session will include the establishment of a common curriculum for training, capacity-building programs, and continuing education to ensure that judicial officers remain up to date with the latest legal developments and best practices.
