MARGAO: In a significant development for Goa’s judicial system, the State government has made key commitments to the Bombay High Court at Goa regarding the digitisation of records across Revenue Courts and other Quasi-Judicial Authorities.
In the latest court proceedings, Additional Government Advocate Deep Shirodkar informed the court that the development work on the Case Management System (CMS) portal had been completed as per the earlier commitment of May 7, 2024.
The court was also updated on the ongoing implementation and configuration of the system across 117 locations in Goa, for which the deadline was set as August 7, 2024. Adv Shirodkar assured the court that this work was progressing, prompting the judges to schedule the next hearing for August 12, 2024, to further assess the implementation status.
This initiative stems from a petition filed by the South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) in 2018, by the then President Adv Antonio Clovis Da Costa, which had sought computerization of records in Revenue Courts, Administrative Tribunals, Industrial Tribunals, Labour Courts, and Children’s Courts, among others.
Being argued by Adv Nikhil Pai on behalf of SGAA, the petition, which aims to curb potential manipulation of records, especially in revenue departments, requested the implementation of a comprehensive Case Information System (CIS). This system would encompass various aspects of case management, including filing, registration, notice generation, court updates, cause list creation, disposals, case status updates and judgement publication. The petitioners emphasized the need for public access to this information through an internet portal.
The petitioner had said these reforms in the current judicial and quasi-judicial setup across the state, would benefit both advocates and litigants alike, thereby potentially streamlining processes and enhancing the overall efficiency of the legal system in Goa.
They had also sought directions for the establishment of an Administrative Tribunal bench in South Goa District.
