The state government has introduced Kerala’s first 24/7 online court in the seaside city of Kollam, which will preside over matters involving dishonoured cheques.
The digital court, accessible at , is a pilot scheme entitled 24×7 ONCourts and has been established in line with the Supreme Court’s e-courts policy.
It is a Special Court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class aiming to address the heavy backlog of pending cases as well as reduce delays and amplify the ease of access to legal remedies for litigants.
Justice BR Gavai inaugurated the online court in August, which intends to bring the courts to the people instead of people going to court. The idea is to provide services to the people and cater to their needs, preferences, circumstances and location.
The states dishonoured cheque cases comprise 10% of pending criminal matters, so 24×7 ONCourts will specifically focus on this area.
The government hopes it will change how litigation is pursued, with ease of operations achieved for all parties involved – the litigant, the lawyer, judge, clerks and court staff.
