Cuttack: In a significant development, the High Court of Orissa on May 1 introduced uploading of digitally signed orders and judgments on its website and online system of certified copies.
The creation of a paperless working regime in the state judiciary has been the vision of Dr S Muralidhar ever since he has assumed the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa. Digitisation and e-filing have, therefore, been prioritised by the High Court since 2021. While legacy records are being digitised in RRDC, digitisation of pending records is complete and every new case, if filed physically, is being immediately digitized. Simultaneously, e-filing is being promoted by conducting hands-on training for lawyers and their clerks.
Digitisation of records has helped in introducing a new system of online certified copies free of cost. A digital platform has been created in which lawyers or litigants can apply for certified copies of orders, judgments, pleadings, and documents and get the copies online, without physically having to come to the High Court and pay any cost for them. The online process is simpler and less time-consuming than the physical system.
For the introduction of the new system, the High Court has amended its rules with effect from May 1, 2023. While the system of uploading orders and judgments on the High Court’s website has already been there, every order or judgment is now required to be digitally signed by the respective secretarial staff of the Judges before uploading on the website. All the orders and judgments of the High Court from May 1, 2023, are now available on the website with digital signatures which is the evidence of their authenticity.
The digital signature is the digital equivalent of a handwritten signature and it bears the date and exact time of the signature along with the designation of the signatory.
The staff of the copying department will append their digital signatures on the documents while delivering certified copies online. The lawyers and litigants and the authorities before whom the copies are produced can verify the authenticity of the document from the website. A short instructive video about the procedure of verification will be soon uploaded on the High Court’s website.
The new system is in addition to the existing system of delivery of physical copies. While the online application is now optional for private parties, it has been made mandatory for the central government, state government, public sector undertakings, and urban and rural local bodies in the amended rules.
It is believed that the system of free online copies of documents will be immensely beneficial for lawyers and litigants.
