The Bombay High Court has taken significant steps towards digitizing the judicial system, streamlining processes, and enhancing accessibility to legal proceedings in local languages. These initiatives range from integrating information about all institutional litigants nationwide into its Case Information System (CIS) to developing proprietary software for digitizing case records, implementing QR Codes in judgments and orders, and utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Translation for translating judgments into local languages.
A circular issued by the Registrar General on August 19 highlighted that by adding details of institutional litigants from across the country into its CIS, any new case filed in Maharashtra can trigger automatic alerts to the relevant entity anywhere in India. This integration facilitates efficient service by digitally transmitting notices or warrants to the nearest court where the respondent entity is located.
With basic information about around 40,500 entities nationwide, including state and central governments, corporations, banks, universities, and more, integrated into the system, the High Court stands as the first and only one to achieve this milestone.
The High Court has also independently developed its software for digitizing case records. The "BHC Interact" portal enables staff, lawyers, and judges to access files, while "BHC Connect" digitally links district and taluka court case records with those of the High Court. "BHC Ingestion" facilitates the transmission of digitized records from district and taluka courts to the High Court, eliminating the need to replicate entire records.
In a bid to enhance accessibility and transparency, the court introduced QR Codes in judgments and orders. These QR Codes provide quick access to authenticated judgments from electronic devices capable of scanning the code.
Additionally, the High Court has employed AI-assisted translation to convert judgments from English to Marathi, bridging the language gap and making legal content accessible to a broader audience.
The court's innovation isn't limited to digital advancements; it has also developed geographical information system (GIS)-based Choropleth maps. These maps visually represent statistical data of cases on a district or area-wise basis, aiding policy decisions based on data insights.
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