The Karnataka High Court recently issued an expression of interest for a comprehensive digital payment system to address long-standing inefficiencies in court processes and create a modern, transparent and accessible financial framework for the judiciary.

At present, a considerable number of matters are delayed not because of legal complexity, but due to small procedural issues, deficit court fees, unpaid process fees and shortfall in copying charges. These deficits result in matters being listed under objections, summons not being issued in time and certified copies being delayed. The cumulative effect is delay, inconvenience and avoidable adjournments.

The proposed system aims to resolve this through the call money mechanism. Whenever there is any shortfall, whether in court fee, process fee, copying charges, fines, or any court-directed deposit, the system automatically identifies it and generates a clear demand specifying the exact amount, the case details and the deadline for payment. This demand is instantly communicated to the litigant or advocate through SMS, email, or messaging platforms, along with a pre-filled payment link. Once payment is made, the case record is updated in real time. Matters are no longer held up for small deficits, summons are issued without delay and certified copies are processed promptly.

The call money mechanism is that it does not impose a single rigid mode of compliance. Three approaches are available:

In the manual mode, the system sends a notification with a pre-filled payment link. The litigant or advocate reviews the demand and makes the payment within the stipulated period. This ensures complete control over each transaction and is useful where client confirmation, internal approval, or strategic timing is required. Even in this mode, the process is significantly more efficient than the current system, since the amount is pre-calculated and payment can be completed in seconds.

In the semi-automatic mode, the system keeps the payment ready, sends automatic reminders and prompts the user to approve the transaction within a defined time frame. The user retains control over each payment but does not need to initiate the process or compute the amount. This reduces the risk of oversight while preserving user involvement and is particularly well-suited to routine payments such as deficit court fees or copying charges.

In the fully automatic mode, the litigant or advocate authorises the system in advance to make payments whenever a call money demand arises. The required amount is automatically debited from a pre-approved source, such as a pre-loaded wallet or linked account. Court fee shortfalls are instantly made good, process fees are paid without delay, copying charges are settled immediately and court-directed deposits are complied with on time. This mode is particularly beneficial for advocates handling high volumes of cases or law firms managing multiple matters simultaneously.

Together, these three modes create a system that is both flexible and efficient. Users who prefer control can retain it; those who prioritise continuity can opt for full automation. In all cases, compliance becomes immediate and seamless.

The system brings about a meaningful improvement in the day-to-day professional life of advocates, addressing inefficiencies that have long been accepted as unavoidable features of court practice.

At present, managing payments across multiple cases is a fragmented and time-consuming exercise. Advocates must track different fee requirements across different matters, visit court counters or banks to make payments, collect and retain physical receipts and follow up manually when deficits are flagged. When a matter is listed under objection for a deficit fee, the advocate must identify the shortfall, arrange payment, return to the relevant office and ensure the record is updated, all of which distracts from substantive legal work. The proposed system eliminates each of these friction points.

Under the call money mechanism, any deficit or payment requirement is automatically identified and communicated directly to the advocate with the exact amount and case details pre-populated. There is no need to calculate amounts, visit counters, or chase administrative staff. Payment is completed in seconds through a familiar digital interface. The manual and semi-automatic modes ensure that each payment remains deliberate and approved for those who prefer control, while the fully automatic mode converts financial compliance into a background process entirely for those managing high-volume practices, allowing uninterrupted focus on legal work.

The system also integrates payments seamlessly into the filing workflow. When a document is submitted or a process is initiated, any associated fee requirement is identified and resolved as part of the same workflow rather than as a separate task that may be overlooked or delayed. This is particularly valuable for advocates filing across multiple courts or handling matters with tight procedural deadlines. Pre-loaded wallets and bulk payment options further reduce repetitive processing for high-volume practitioners.

Advocates no longer need to maintain manual fee registers, reconcile receipts at the end of the month, or reconstruct expense records for accounting purposes. The digital record serves directly as the basis for professional bookkeeping and, critically, for income tax filings where accurate records of professional expenses are required.

For law firms and chambers handling large volumes of matters, this structured financial record also enables proper cost recovery from clients, transparent billing and cleaner internal accounts.

There is also a less tangible but real benefit in terms of client relationships. When an advocate can report accurately on all payments made, provide digital receipts and track the status of every financial obligation in a matter, client confidence increases. Disputes over fees paid or not paid become easier to resolve and the advocate's professional standing is enhanced by the transparency and reliability that the system enables.

For litigants, paying court fees, addressing deficits flagged by the registry, obtaining certified copies and complying with court-directed deposits all require physical presence, familiarity with court processes and available time, none of which can be taken for granted, particularly for litigants from rural areas, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, or those who have travelled significant distances.

The proposed system fundamentally changes this. Once a payment requirement arises, the litigant receives an instant notification with a pre-filled payment link specifying exactly what is owed and why. Payment can be made immediately from wherever the litigant is, using whichever payment mode is accessible to them. The system supports UPI, credit and debit cards, net banking, Aadhaar-enabled payment services, BBPS and UPI 123Pay, the last of which functions on basic feature phones without the need for a smartphone or internet connection.

This makes the system genuinely inclusive, extending to populations that are often excluded from digital services. For a litigant in a remote district who would otherwise have had to travel to court premises to pay a modest deficit fee, the ability to make that payment from home, with the case record updated immediately, is a material improvement in access to justice.

The system also removes the litigant's dependence on intermediaries. At present, many litigants rely entirely on their advocate or on informal court facilitators to manage fee payments on their behalf, often without receiving any clear record of what has been paid. Under the new system, litigants can receive direct notifications, make their own payments and access their own transaction history. This transparency strengthens the litigant's sense of agency and confidence in the process.

The anxiety of wondering whether a receipt has been issued, whether a payment has been credited to the right case, or whether a deficit will result in an adverse procedural consequence, is removed entirely.

For those involved in matters where court-directed deposits are required - motor accident compensation cases being a prominent example - the ability to make such deposits digitally with immediate confirmation reduces the risk of inadvertent non-compliance. Similarly, litigants awaiting refunds or disbursements benefit from a system where outward payments are also processed digitally, reducing waiting periods and eliminating uncertainty about when funds will be received.

The system treats litigants as participants in a process designed to serve them, rather than as individuals who must navigate administrative requirements at their own cost and inconvenience.

The proposed system represents a shift from a largely manual, paper-based financial process to one that is automated, integrated and auditable in real time. The practical implications of this shift are wide-ranging.

At present, the identification of payment deficits is a manual exercise. Court staff must examine filings, check fee calculations, flag shortfalls, prepare notices and follow up on responses. When payments are eventually made, they must be physically verified, recorded in registers and reconciled with treasury accounts, manually and with the risk of error or omission. Under the proposed system, each of these steps is automated. Deficits are identified at the point they arise, demands are generated and communicated without human intervention and payments are recorded and reconciled automatically upon receipt.

Integration with Khajane II, Karnataka's treasury management system, means that payments are reflected directly in government accounts in real time. This also strengthens the integrity of public financial management, since every rupee flowing through the court system is accounted for with precision and immediacy.

Real-time dashboards give court administrators, registry officers and judicial officers a current and accurate picture of the financial status of any case at any point. Outstanding demands, recent payments, pending deposits and unreconciled amounts are all visible without the need to search through files or consult separate registers. A judicial officer can know before a hearing whether a required deposit has been made; a registry officer can process a certified copy application without manually verifying payment. This supports better decision-making at every level.

The reduction in adjournments is a particularly significant administrative benefit. A substantial proportion of adjournments arise not from disputes about law or evidence, but from procedural non-compliance, including non-payment of fees, process fees, or court-directed amounts. Each such adjournment consumes court time, requires the matter to be relisted, adds to the backlog and imposes costs on all parties. By ensuring that financial compliance is immediate and largely automatic, the system removes this category of adjournment almost entirely.

The automation of outward disbursements is equally important. Compensation payments in motor accident cases, refunds, legal aid disbursements and other court-directed payments currently require manual processing and depend on coordinated action across multiple offices. Digital processing with direct credit to the recipient's account reduces processing time, eliminates manual errors and creates a clear and auditable disbursement record.

From an audit and accountability standpoint, the system provides a level of transparency that manual processes cannot match. Every transaction is time-stamped, linked to a specific case and party and reconciled against a payment source. There are no gaps in the record, no missing receipts and no possibility of undetected discrepancies. This strengthens internal controls, simplifies external audit and reduces the scope for irregularities.

Finally, the system reduces the administrative workload at court counters and registry offices, freeing staff to focus on tasks that require human judgment rather than routine financial processing. Counter queues shorten, wait times fall and the quality of service to all court users improves as a consequence.

The scale of this initiative is substantial. Court-related transactions in Karnataka alone are estimated at approximately ₹1,500 crore annually, a figure expected to grow as digitisation expands. If a similar system is implemented across courts in India, the transaction volume could reach approximately ₹25,000 crore per year. This places judicial payments within the category of large, stable and recurring financial ecosystems.

In this context, participation by banks and payment aggregators in the EOI is not merely desirable but strategically important, for several reasons.

First, the judiciary represents a high-trust, government-backed transaction environment. Payments made to courts are mandatory, legally backed obligations rather than discretionary consumer transactions, ensuring a consistent and predictable transaction flow unlike many commercial sectors where volumes fluctuate significantly.

Second, the system envisages multi-channel payment integration at scale, including UPI, cards, net banking, wallets, Aadhaar-based payments, BBPS and bank transfers. Banks and payment aggregators that participate at the design stage will be better positioned to shape standards, integration protocols and operational frameworks that can later be replicated across jurisdictions.

Third, the transaction ecosystem is not limited to inward payments. It also includes outward disbursements such as MACT compensation, refunds, legal aid payments and court-directed deposits. This creates a full-cycle financial flow, offering banks opportunities in float management, escrow structures, reconciliation services and transaction processing.

Fourth, early participation allows banks and payment service providers to align with government policy priorities including digital payments, financial inclusion and e-governance. The system explicitly incorporates inclusive payment modes such as AePS, UPI 123Pay and postal banking, expanding the reach of formal financial systems into underserved populations.

Fifth, from a technological standpoint, this initiative offers an opportunity to develop and deploy high-quality, secure and scalable solutions in a complex and mission-critical environment. The integration requirements - covering court systems, treasury platforms and national payment infrastructure - make this a benchmark project with potential for replication in other government sectors.

Sixth, the reputational value of participating in a judicial digital infrastructure project is considerable. Association with the judiciary enhances institutional credibility and demonstrates capability in handling sensitive, high-integrity financial systems.

Finally, the long-term potential is significant. Once standardised and implemented, such a system could become the national template for judicial payments, opening avenues for expansion across all High Courts and subordinate courts in India. Early participants in the EOI stage are likely to gain valuable insights into system design, user behaviour, regulatory considerations and operational challenges, all of which provide a competitive advantage in future procurement processes.

By ensuring that deficits in court fee, process fee, and copying charges are addressed instantly through the call money mechanism, and by allowing flexible modes of payment, the proposed digital payment system removes a major source of delay. At the same time, it improves financial transparency, simplifies accounting for advocates, empowers litigants and strengthens administrative efficiency across every level of court functioning.

For banks and payment aggregators, it presents a compelling opportunity to engage with a high-value, high-integrity and nationally scalable platform that aligns with both business objectives and public policy goals.

The result is a system where financial compliance no longer interrupts judicial work but becomes a seamless part of it, making the justice delivery process faster, smoother and more reliable.