Remote Adjudication Courts for cheque dishonor cases launched in Gujarat

Remote Adjudication Magisterial Courts to deal with cheque dishonor cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act) that are filed online were recently launched in a ceremony that took place at the Gujarat High Court on Saturday, December 8. .The initiative is part of the Statewide Access to Remote Adjudication System (SARAS) project. It has been launched to facilitate the adjudication of cheque dishonor cases e-filed by banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). The December 8 inaugural ceremony at the Gujarat High Court Auditorium was attended by Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant, Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel and Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, among other dignitaries. In his address, Justice Surya Kant emphasized on the importance of using technology to expedite the adjudication of commercial cases. The Supreme Court judge added that the same has the potential to affect economic development and leaves an impact on the image of the justice delivery system in society and at the world at large..To implement the newly launched remote court project, the Gujarat government had recently issued a notification widening the jurisdiction of all Magisterial Courts in the State to adjudicate e-filed cases under the NI Act through remote (virtual/online) adjudication.Subsequently, five judicial officers from Ahmedabad, Anand, Narmada, and Gir Somnath were designated as presiding officers for these remote adjudication courts (SARAS N. I. Courts) by the Gujarat High Court.A press release issued by the High Court about the initiative says,"Through these Remote Adjudication Courts, for the first time in the country, Judicial Officers of Magisterial cadre posted anywhere in the State of Gujarat would adjudicate through video conferencing the N. I. cases e-filed by Banks and NBFCs in the CJM Courts of Ahmedabad City." .It adds that these remote courts aim to address case backlogs caused by the uneven availability of judicial officers trying NI Act cases in Ahmedabad."The video conferencing and digital enablement of the documentation of the case records brings about a solution for the justice delivery system of Gujarat State where the Judicial Officer, not having the sufficient burden of caseload but having optimum infrastructure, can adjudicate upon the cases using video conferencing and through e-casefile and digital authentication of the records and daily proceedings with auto transmission of digitally signed proceedings to the Ld. Advocates and the parties," it said. .The initiative is designed to enable advocates and litigants to attend NI cases from a video conferencing enabled room in the same court complex where they have filed the case. This would result in a higher rate of case disposal without having to wait for an increase in the strength of judicial officers or for new buildings to be constructed to house more officers and courts, the press release added..[Read Press Release]