Chambers of Ishaan Garg
Ch. No. 217, Western Wing, District & Sessions Court, Tis Hazari, New Delhi, Delhi 110054
+91 8851742417, +91 8800386163
The Delhi High Court has recently ordered that e-filing of pleadings, documents and interim applications be made mandatory in the civil jurisdictions and criminal complaint cases before all the District Courts in the national capital.
Directing that the “Centralised Filing System” for filings related to ongoing and pending cases be implemented in all the District Courts, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said:
“Mandatory e-filing of pleadings, documents and interim applications shall be adhered to in the jurisdictions already notified vide notification no.12/Rules/DHC dated 22nd February, 2022 under e-filing Rules of the High Court of Delhi, 2021.”
In an order passed on January 04, the court passed a slew of directions for strengthening e-filing and weeding out as well as digitization of record of decided cases in all the district courts.
The court directed its Registrar General to initiate steps for extending mandatory e-filing in all remaining Civil Jurisdictions and Criminal complaint cases in the District Courts, as per the e-filing Rules of the High Court of Delhi, 2021.
At present, e-filing is mandatory in the District Courts only with respect to suits and applications relating to Commercial disputes, complaints under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 and all appeals and revisions.
“Digitization, in a dedicated manner, be started in record rooms of all District Courts so as to digitize the record of decided cases. Necessary ICT infrastructure and manpower shall be provided to the record rooms by the concerned Principal District & Sessions Judge,” the court said.
It added that upon finalisation of criterion in respect of petty cases and cases of historical importance, the process to weed out files which are ready for weeding be initiated within three weeks in all District Courts.
In October last year, the court directed all the District Judges in Delhi to ensure that after disposal of a case, its records are immediately transmitted to the record room.
In August last year, the bench had directed all the district courts in Delhi to adopt a “standardized online filing system” for pleadings, documents, and miscellaneous applications and issued a slew of directions to be followed till the time appropriate Rules are in place.
KARAN S THUKRAL v. THE DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE & ORS (4th January 2024 Del HC)
