Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa on Thursday inaugurated e-Court/Video Link, new website of Supreme Court and SC Research Centre. The Chief Justice introduced the litigant-friendly initiatives towards transformation of the Supreme Court of Pakistan through Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he said the launch of video link system, new website of the apex court and the use of modern technology in the speedy completion of cases would enable effective decision-making and provide convenience to the litigants. The CJP envisioned the ICT transformation of the Supreme Court to make ease of litigation a reality. He apprised that the Supreme Court IT Committee under the supervision of Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has collaborated with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to establish a live video link between the principal seat and its four branch registries.
The Chief Justice said it was already paying dividends by making it cost-effective for lawyers and litigants to participate in case proceedings via their nearest registry instead of having to travel to Islamabad. The NADRA has further helped the Supreme Court launch a new website for the apex court.
Now the judges can hear court proceedings from the principal seat for any branch registry. A total of 138 cases have been heard using the video-link in a short span of five weeks from all 4 registries. Recently, the New Judicial Year event was also broadcast live to all 4 registries simultaneously using this system.
The new dynamic website has been built from the ground-up with the end-users in mind, ie the judges, advocates, and most importantly the litigants. The primary goal is to guarantee the ease of litigation as per the vision of Justice Khosa.
The Chief Justice said the modern website features and tools have been introduced such as Online Case Search with the provision of complete history of any case of the court. A new 'Judgment Search' and a 'Cause List Search' in which users will be able to use multiple search parameters to help study the important case law, with the ability to print in a PDF format. Other features include important news highlights, Museum Gallery, Judge Profiles and a Photo Gallery highlighting the architectural marvel of the Supreme Court building.