In a first, virtual court goes completely paperless in SC

NEW DELHI: In a pioneering development for a judiciary consuming a staggering 10 billion sheets of paper annually, a virtual court of the Supreme Court went paperless on Monday.
It was an unusual sight in virtual court number three. Missing were the usually stacked case files besides the three chairs on the dais prior to assembling of the judges. Even more unusual was that the three judges — Justices D Y Chandrachud, Hemant Gupta and Ajay Rastogi — walking in with their laptops. They opened their laptops and started hearing cases even as most lawyers connected through video links were seen using paper case files.
During the arguments, the judges were seen making notes on the laptop as the hearings continued without any glitch. If all judges in the SC, HCs and trial courts follow suit, then the judiciary will save 10 billion sheets of paper every year. The first move to make SC proceedings paperless was initiated in 2017 by then CJI J S Khehar. But the judges were uncomfortable with the decision. “Software for court-work at that time had several shortcomings. Present software is more advanced. It allows judges to make notes with special pens on computer screens and these notes can be preserved confidentially. The law clerks’ notes, as well as the judge’s notings, can be stored separately,” a source said.