Sikkim declared first State to have paperless judiciary

Sikkim was officially declared as the first paperless State judiciary on Friday.

The official declaration was made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant at a conclave held today at the State's capital, Gangtok.

"In the past, distance for a litigant was not measured in kilometres but in days of travel, difficult terrain and uncertainty. Today, that reality is changing not only because of infrastructure, but because technology is reshaping access. The digital highway now connects citizens directly to various judicial fora. We have moved away from the era of paper trails," the CJI said at the event.

The conclave, centred on the theme Technology and Judicial Education, is being organised by the High Court of Sikkim and the Sikkim Judicial Academy.

The event brought together judges, legal experts and policymakers to discuss digital transformation of the Indian judiciary, and will continue tomorrow.

Speaking at the event today, Supreme Court Justice JK Maheshwari commended Sikkim for having been declared a paperless judiciary.

"Sikkim has now been declared a paperless judiciary is a remarkable moment. It does not replace human judgment but what it means is that it has removed barriers. Those physical papers, distance or files that go missing. That's the correct ambition of technology in justice; not to replace the human act of judging, but to remove every obstacle, that stands between the individual and that act," he said.

Other dignitaries who spoke at the event included Sikkim High Court Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque who described the conclave as a historic moment for the State of Sikkim and the Indian judiciary.

"Today’s conclave is about starting something at the ground level, a practical approach. The aim is not to create high-tech courts for the sake of it, but to impact the lives of citizens," he added.

Sikkim High Court Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradha emphasised on the use technology to strengthen rule of law.

"We must ensure that digital advancement does not distance marginalised groups. If we use technology to make courts faster, fairer, cheaper, more accessible and humane, we are bound to succeed. If technology helps fulfil this mission, we must welcome it. If it seeks to dilute it, we must restrain it," he said.

Sikkim Advocate General Basava Prabhu S Patil observed that the paperless judiciary initiative is meant to make justice delivery faster and more efficient.

"The move towards a paperless judiciary is not to disrespect paper, which has carried our pleadings, precedents, evidence and constitutional history. The point is to ensure that a citizen does not have to wait because a file is in transit, a page is missing, a record is untraceable or a certified copy is moving at the speed of dust. Technology is not about replacing justice, but removing friction from it."

Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles Justice Rony James Govinden, Sikkim High Court Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai and Chief Minister PS Tamang also spoke at the event.

"As Sikkim celebrates 50 years of statehood, we feel proud of our journey and achievements. It is a great honour to host this conclave in the presence of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and other distinguished dignitaries," Chief Minister Tamang said.

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