The Madras High Court is planning to take justice to the doorsteps of litigants, literally. Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi is mulling over the possibility of operating vans with computers and Internet connectivity to remote villages in Tamil Nadu for people to take part in judicial proceedings virtually without having to travel to different courts.
In a circular to all principal district judges in Tamil Nadu and the Chief Judge of Puducherry, the High Court’s Registrar-General, C. Kumarappan, has called for their views on implementing the mobile virtual court plan. He wanted to know whether the judicial officers had the financial resources to implement it at the earliest in their districts.
Experimental basis
The idea of mobile courts emanated from Pudukottai principal district judge J.A. Kokila, who had implemented it on an experimental basis.
In a letter to the High Court on July 9, she said the Legal Services Authority in her district had experimented with it in view of the challenges posed by COVID-19.
A mobile court was conducted in the Thirumalairayasamuthiram panchayat, consisting of 19 villages, and the proceedings of 13 admission cases falling under the jurisdiction of the judicial magistrate-I were held through that virtual court. “It gave us the confidence to achieve the concept of delivering justice at the doorsteps of the downtrodden,” she said.
Urging the High Court to accord permission for making the mobile court a permanent feature in her district, the judicial officer said it would cost around ₹500 a day towards fuel expenses and ₹599 for an unlimited mobile Internet pack for three months. Vans already available with the District Legal Services Authority could be pressed into service.
Such vans could carry laptops with web cameras, modems, speakers, scanners, document viewers and a 2KVA power backup.
The vehicles could be stationed at the local panchayat union office or any other government office with permission and litigants residing nearby could be called for attending the proceedings, she said.
The facility could be utilised for appearance of litigants/witnesses for conducting cases at any stage. One court staff member, not below the rank of junior assistant, with technical knowledge could be deployed as the coordinator, and para-legal volunteers could also be sent to provide legal aid to the villagers simultaneously, Ms. Kokila suggested.
She said the proceedings could be conducted by following physical distancing norms and after ensuring that the team travelling in the mobile courts was provided with face masks, infra-red thermometers, sanitizers, hand-gloves and first aid kits.
Her letter to the High Court Registry was placed before the Chief Justice for approval. Impressed with the idea, he directed the Registrar-General to seek the views of all Principal District Judges so that comprehensive instructions could be issued.
