یہ مذاق ہے۔ پہلے مقدمے کی سماعت عوامی عدالت سے نکال کر جیل میں منتقل کی گئی اور اب اسے ایک ایسی عدالت میں لے جایا جا رہا جہاں جج، گواہ اور سرکاری وکلا سب گمنام ہوں گے اور پوری کارروائی آن لائن ہوگی۔ جب سب کچھ پردوں کے پیچھے کرنا ہے تو پھر ٹرائل کا ڈھونگ رچانے کی ضرورت ہی کیا ہے؟

I have introduced a Private Member’s Bill to bring a comprehensive legislation to mandate virtual court proceedings alongside physical hearings, aiming to make the justice delivery system more efficient, reduce delays and costs, and improve convenience and accessibility for all stakeholders. The Statement of Objects and Reasons as follows: The advent of COVID-19 pandemic had forced us to conduct court proceedings virtually. Virtual courts have enabled participation from remote areas irrespective of geographical or economic constraints, eliminating the need for individuals to bear significant financial burdens associated with physically attending court sessions. However, just like the COVID-19 times are behind us, the virtual courts are slowly becoming a thing of the past in some Tribunals and it is seen that even though Government had invested a huge amount of public money in the infrastructure for conducting and promoting virtual courts, this facility is not being utilized even though there is demand for the same. The concept of access to justice has been etched in our Constitution. Virtual court can enable dispensation of justice to all citizens by mitigating delays, reducing costs and increasing convenience for all parties. Access to virtual court hearings not only help in reduced litigation costs, but also make complex and time-consuming judicial procedures accessible and convenient to the lay man. It also prevents a litigant belonging to other parts of the country from bearing the cost of travel, lodging and extra fees of the lawyer since most of the Commissions, Tribunals and the Hon’ble Supreme Court are situated at Delhi. Each time a case is adjourned for want of a lawyer; it is the litigant who bears the expense. It is also pertinent to note that a common reason for adjournments at the Supreme Court of India, High Courts and appellate tribunals is that the counsels from various parts of the country cannot make it to the hearing due to various reasons. Therefore, mandatory virtual court proceedings would certainly aid in the effective delivery of justice to all sections of citizens. Furthermore, virtual courts proceedings could also make the legal process more streamlined by reducing paperwork and automating administrative tasks. Therefore, the present Bill proposes to mandate virtual court hearings and achieve the above objectives. @mkstalin @Udhaystalin @arivalayam @aifsoj