Virtual courts

In news 

Virtual court and e-challan project launched in Assam; Maharashtra also got it’s 2ndvirtual court (“NyayKaushal”)recently

 The Virtual Court (traffic) and e-Challan project of Assam

• The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Committee of Gauhati High Court in association with Government of Assam and Assam Police, under the aegis of e-Committee of Supreme Court of India, are spearheading the project in the State
• E-challan solution is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) whereas the software has been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). It will replace the present concept of manual challan with an electronically generated digital challan.

About virtual court

It is an initiative of E-Committee of Supreme Court along with Department of Justice, Ministry of Law& Justice, Government of India.

What is a virtual court and how does it work?

• Virtual Court is an online court being managed by Virtual Judge (which is not a person but an algorithm) whose jurisdiction can be extended to the entire state and working hours may be 24X7. 
• There is no brick & mortar building of the court. 
• In a trial by Virtual Court, neither litigant shall come to the court nor will the Judge have to sit physically in the court to adjudicate the case. 
• The communication may only be in electronic form and the sentencing and further payment of fine or compensation will also be online. 
• In this court, only a single process is allowed and there can be no argument. 
• It may be proactive admission of guilt by the accused or proactive compliance of the cause by the defendant on receipt of the summons in electronic form. 
• On payment of Fine, such matters may be treated as disposed off. 
• Citizens neither  have to wait in lines in courts nor have to confront a Traffic Policeman. 

Significance of the virtual court

• It will increase productivity of citizens as well as judicial officers.
• It will promote greater accountability and less corruption in the Traffic Police Department thus bettering the lives of people.
• For instance, in Assam due to Virtual Court the work of 10 judges will be done by only a single judge thus sparing 9 Judges for judicial work.