Judicial database a key enabler

The linking of the Supreme Court’s case database with the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is an important event that will help to improve transparency and efficiency in the functioning of the judiciary.

This means that the portal will reflect the real-time position of the clearance of cases and their backlog in all courts in the country. It is an online platform created under the e-Courts project that gives complete information about the orders, judgements and case details from 18,735 district and subordinate courts and High Courts.

The proceedings in most subordinate courts are computerised. These and the data from the High Courts and now from the Supreme Court, too, will make NJDG a complete and comprehensive platform that is accessible to everyone. It is an important initiative under the ‘ease of doing business’ plan of the government. A number of agencies, including the National Informatics Centre (NIC), contributed to the project. 

The database now contains more than 230 million judgements and orders pertaining to civil and criminal cases. The information on the portal is very useful for researchers, policymakers, the judicial establishment, the legal fraternity and everyone else who needs it.

Backgrounders and customised reports can be produced as required. The data is classified category-wise, year-wise, month-wise and state-wise and across the different stages of litigation.

They are also segregated into age-wise categories such as cases that are 10 years old, those between five and 10 years old, and so on. The details of cases taken up, disposed of, or pending, in all courts in the country are available, and they are updated on the portal every day.

The data can be used for business intelligence and analytical processing, and the entire system can be integrated with the Interoperable Criminal Justice system (ICJS), which already exists for flow of data among different segments of the justice system. 

Announcing the onboarding of the Supreme court with the NJDG last week, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said that it was a historic day when a unique and informative platform which gave real-time information about all cases started functioning. He also said that it would help courts to reorganise work and dispose of the oldest cases on priority after identifying them. 

For example, the CJI noted that the Supreme Court had less than 100 cases pending from before 2000. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said it was a shining example of the harnessing of technology to promote transparency in the judicial system. The system should be used to reduce the pendency of cases and for speedy delivery of justice, and it must be ensured that it works efficiently.