e-Courts Mission Mode Project has made great strides in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over the past one year or so.Various digital initiatives have been taken during this period with an aim to provide citizen centric services to the various stakeholders of justice delivery system.One such service, which is of huge utility for case status purposes is SMS delivery service, which is available in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the District and Subordinate Courts.Through this service, case status at every step of its proceedings is forwarded to the litigant and lawyer, whose mobile number is registered with the court concerned through 'SMS Push Service'.'SMS Pull Service' is also now available by which the intending party can also fetch the case status himself/herself by forwarding the CNR to the number 9766899899.However, this service is paid as the service provider charges for the SMS sent and received. In the year 2019 a total of 2,61,374 SMSs were delivered in the High Court and 2,32,235 SMSs in the District and Subordinate Courts. With each passing day the number is increasing as more and more stakeholders are getting their mobile numbers registered with the Courts.These services introduced by the High Court for litigants and lawyers are available through various platforms. Some of these services can be availed through the official website of the High Court of the Jammu and Kashmir. Now the litigants and the lawyers can have real time information about the case proceedings in the High Court. A case which is listed before any bench of the High Court when taken up is reflected on the display system of the High Court which is connected to the website of the High Court.
Therefore, information of the proceedings of the case can be had from the website in no time even if the party is not present in the Court. This has reduced to a great extent the footfall in the High Court.Another initiative which the High Court has taken is that now the cause list available on the website has been customized and made searchable. Multiple search options have been provided and now the cause list can be searched case number wise, lawyer wise and party name wise.Similarly, now the litigants and the lawyers can access the orders and judgments of the High Court on the official website of the High Court. Orders and judgments of the District Courts can be had from the official website of the concerned District Court. These orders and judgments are digitally signed to provide them the element of authenticity. There is multiple search option available as an order/judgment is searchable date wise, case number wise, judge wise and party name wise. Another citizen centric service which has been added recently is that the Court Notices issued by the High Court for publication through print medium are now available on the website of the High Court.Since, various initiatives have been undertaken under e-Courts Mission Mode Project to serve the Justice seeker in best possible ways, however, until and unless all the initiatives taken by the courts to keep abreast the litigants, lawyers and other stakeholders are not percolated to the end consumer, same would be indicator of a gap between all the stake holders. Therefore, a campaign has been launched to ensure that all the initiatives and efforts, made on the part of courts, regarding awareness of its end consumer centric services, should reach to the Justice seekers. To achieve the desired results one of the medium is that the litigants, lawyers and other stakeholders should get their mobile numbers registered with respective courts, furnish email Ids and also provide correct description/credentials, enabling the courts to disseminate case related information instantly and in real time.