e-Judiciary speeds up case handling

Digitalization of courts has shed a new light on the country’s judicial system by reducing stockpile of cases' papers and facilitating the litigation. This has taken Bangladesh judicial system a step closer to better tomorrow by removing backlog of cases, making the justice system swift, ensuring better access to justice, speeding-up disposal of existing cases.

The government has made remarkable progress in modernizing the judicial system by taking the Tk2,224 crore project. The four-year project would fully be implemented by 2024. However, the apex court of the country has already started facilitating the litigation process and outcome.

Under the procedure, Online Cause List, Judicial Monitoring Dashboard, and My Court; a platform www.judiciary.org.bd has been launched with all the judicial service-related information. As far as the digitalization of process is concerned, the litigants are now keeping themselves updated with court schedules online while filing of cases and submitting e-documents have reduced the pile of papers in lawyer's chambers and court offices. This consequently increased efficiency and reduced delay and complexity.

Under e-Judiciary system, about 2,000 courtrooms have been digitalized where all judicial courts and the High Court would be brought under virtual proceedings. This project includes development of a web portal for all districts, along with 5 major 'metropolitan' criminal courts, installation of central data centre at the Supreme Court, and micro data centers in all 64 districts, establishment of e-courtrooms and Introduction of audio recording system and virtual terminal. Besides, bail orders are now accessed via newly formed 'Bail Confirmation Online Manual'; a socialized cyber tribunal has been established; three aiding apps has been launched by the government's a2i project. Summary of pending cases are now on the Supreme Court's website; and case updates are now delivered using display boards and push-messages.

Besides, the central jails would be digitalized so that the defendants can join case hearing staying inside the jail. All jails across the country would get camera trial rooms. Boithok apps will be used to protect privacy in this regard. A four tier datacenter is being set up in the Supreme Court under JRP to ensure sovereignty of judicial data.

Some 2,000 laptops would be distributed among the judges and desktops for the office staff while the training sessions for 75,000 judges and  lawyers have started. Besides, each Bar Association will get a cyber cafe and video conferencing system.

Related sources said that after the creation of these infrastructures by a2i, UNDP and ICT department, the maximum use of technology will be ensured in the justice and health department in the financial year 2023-24. Besides, a2i, Bangladesh Computer Council, Supreme Court, Law and Judiciary Department already developed their own model together so that the judicial system would be conducted at low cost.

The daily 'cause list' of both High Court Division and Appellate Division cases can now be found in the website of Supreme Court of Bangladesh together with the judgment and orders in the same place, allowing litigants and lawyers to access the requisite materials themselves. Professionals concerned appreciated the move saying it is indeed a matter of great success that the digitalization of courts in Bangladesh has already started.

According to the office of apex court registrar, people of all walks of life can install My Court app from Google Play Store and can use it.

In Bangladesh, the digitalization of courts, primarily with an aim to remove the backlog of cases and make the justice process swift was officially launched in Sylhet in 2016. Later, it was implemented in all other divisions gradually.

Barrister Shafiqe Ahmed, senior lawyer of the Supreme Court and also a former law minister, told Views Bangladesh, "The digitization of the entire judicial system, including the Supreme Court, has started reducing the sufferings of both the litigants and the lawyers. The supremacy of brokers has decreased. If completely digital, the bribe trade of some unscrupulous officers and employees in the section and bench will also decrease which will be a relief to everyone."

In this regard, Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq told Views Bangladesh that the current government has introduced verifiable ID, transaction platform and inter-operable platform after coming to the power. As a result, we have been able to keep online and offline judicial work running by connecting them during the Covid-19 period. It has been possible to introduce virtual courts in just two months. If the digitization work is completed, the judicial procedure will run smoothly in any emergency in the future."

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told Views Bangladesh that as the e-judiciary project launched with the aim of digitizing the courts, the judicial process has become much easier. If it is fully implemented, the sufferings will reduce. The litigants will not have to wander around the courts for years, and the cases will be less tangled. The Justice will not be delayed anymore."