In a significant development, the Gujarat High Court has designated 20 additional Courts of Judicial Magistrates as Virtual Traffic Courts to handle traffic e-Challans originating from anywhere in the state.
Acting Chief Justice Ashish J. Desai issued a circular on Friday, providing guidance and direction for this initiative, which aims to expedite the processing of traffic e-Challans and enhance the utilization of judicial resources.
The circular stated that a recommendation was sent to the Government of Gujarat, proposing the designation of several Courts of Judicial Magistrates in different parts of the state as Virtual Traffic Courts. In response, the government has notified 20 Courts of Judicial Magistrate First Class, in addition to the existing one in Ahmedabad, for this purpose.
With the establishment of these 20 Virtual Traffic Courts spread across the state, the processing of traffic e-Challans will be further expedited, especially in locations that have relatively fewer pending cases. Leveraging the benefits of remote working enabled by the eCommittee of the Supreme Court of India, this initiative aims to achieve more efficient utilization of judicial resources.
According to the directions of the Acting Chief Justice, the traffic e-Challans received by the Virtual Traffic Court server will be allocated daily from the High Court's IT Cell to the designated 20 Virtual Traffic Courts. These courts will then proceed with adjudicating the fine/penalty amounts from their respective locations. However, if a traffic violator chooses to contest the e-Challans, the case will be automatically transferred to the jurisdictional court where the violation occurred.
This development marks an important step toward breaking geographical barriers and providing speedier access to justice for all stakeholders. The success of this innovative distribution of judicial work among courts that are relatively less burdened with arrears may lead to its expansion to other areas and types of cases in the future.
The Virtual Traffic Court, which became operational on May 3, 2023, at the Metropolitan Magistrates Court in Ahmedabad, has already been effectively handling traffic e-Challans for the state of Gujarat. As the e-Challan system is gradually implemented in other districts of the state, the number of traffic e-Challans being transmitted to the Virtual Traffic Court is steadily increasing. This expansion of virtual courts demonstrates the commitment of the Gujarat High Court to leverage technology for efficient and accessible justice delivery.
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