CHENNAI: With a view to moving towards a `paperless court' concept, an e-filing regime will be introduced in Tamil Nadu from June 2006, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Justice A.P. Shah said here on Monday.

Addressing at a function presided over by Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran, he said advocates could file their petitions in electronic format from June. However, the system would be tried only in cheque bounce cases on an experimental basis.

He said the computerisation programme in the High Court and subordinate courts in the State was "still in infant stage." "The number of computers provided in the High Court is inadequate. Those provided to the subordinate judiciary 10 years back have become antiquated and outdated."

He said the grants allocated to the Madras High Court were meagre as compared to those given to the Bombay High Court.

Digital archives were the need of the hour. Entire court records could be scanned and stored electronically with the help of document management software. "This will be helpful in retrieval of information and also in saving the much-needed storage space." The High Court needs a minimum of 250 more computers. According to Mr. Justice Shah, while the overall computerisation programme for the High Court would cost Rs. 5 crore, the subordinate judiciary would require at least Rs. 15 crore.

Rs. 200 crore allotted

Mr. Maran, underlining the need for making available the best communication system to the judiciary, said the Centre had allotted Rs. 200 crore for modernisation and computerisation of courts across the country. An e-committee has been constituted to go into the issue.

Referring to requests from Madras High Court Advocates Association president S. Prabakaran and Madras Bar Association president K.R. Tamizhmani, he said by March 2006 an electronic display system would be in place. A sum of Rs. 1.5 crore had been allocated for the purpose.

Additional Solicitor-General of India V.T. Gopalansaid the modern post office would help serve private notices expeditiously. Director-General, Department of Posts, U. Srinivasa Raghavan, welcomed the gathering. Chief Postmaster-General (Tamil Nadu circle) Vatsala Raghu proposed a vote of thanks.

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