Kerala HC to launch first exclusively online court in Kollam District

The new initiative will allow all court processes to be conducted exclusively online right from the filing stage through the stages of case registration, admission, appearances, hearing, and passing of judgments and orders.

The ON Court initiative is a pilot project that will be launched in Kollam District. It will begin accepting cases from September 2024 onwards and will hear cheque dishonor cases to start, which are the largest source of pending criminal cases in the country.

Depending on the success of this initiative, new ON Courts may be established across the state.

The project aims to facilitate the seamless transmission of information to all the involved parties including the litigants, lawyers, and the police. Case files will be available for parties to access by logging in to the portal.

Sharing of summons and warrants through e-post can also be done as the new portal will integrate the iCoPS (Integrated Core Policing System) software — developed and launched by the Kerala police in 2021.

For persons without internet browser access, the portal will also be accessible through e-Sewa Kendra centers located at every court complex. Even before the launch of the ON Court portal, e-Sewa Kendra allowed litigants to find information on the status of their cases and obtain copies of judgments and orders.

On May 25, 2024, the Kerala HC launched the first mobile eSewa Kendra (located inside a bus) at Thodupuzha, Idukki.

Alongside the ON Court portal, CJI Chandrachud will also inaugurate an online alternate dispute resolution mechanism called WeSolve. Judges in Kerala will be able to refer disputes to WeSolve and the parties can conduct negotiations on the platform without having to physically convene in the same location. The drafting of the final award or the mediation agreement will also take place online, and the parties will be able to sign the agreement digitally as well.

The CJI will also announce the restoration of the Ram Mohan Palace in Kochi which once housed the Kerala High Court, with the intent of establishing a digital library and a legal research centre on the premises.

There will also be a presentation for a Model Digital Courtroom and a launch for the Learning Management System of the Kerala Judicial Academy to facilitate the training of judicial officers, prosecutors, and police.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to inaugurate two special courts, one for trying offences under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and another for cases under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019. State Finance Minister K.N Balagopal will inaugurate the new CCTV surveillance system at the Kerala HC and State Law Minister P. Rajeev will inaugurate the new security cum facilitation block at the court.

The launch event is scheduled to take place at 3:45 PM Friday and will be streamed live on YouTube.