E-filing
Relevance of E-filing in the Lockdown Period
How self-service e-filing and case management help courts handle a growing backlog of documents and cases during the lockdown.
Covid-19 and the associated lockdown have left courts across the globe only partially functional. It has put a lot of strain on an already burdened case processing infrastructure that is handling a considerable number of pending cases. Self-service, e-filing and associated processes can help overcome the overload on the case processing system.
Courts are burdened with a large number of pending cases, and new cases are filed every day. Court proceedings are document-intensive and consistently generate a large number of documents from both old and new cases, which makes them tedious for court administrators to manage. This puts pressure on court staff's time, making it necessary to increase staff strength, which is not always practical.
Manual litigation registration involves filing, verifying and resubmitting documents for every case filed in court. As new litigation arrives on top of the old, documents pile up for verification and resubmission. Processing time grows substantially across pending and new cases alike, causing considerable delays in litigation and case closure.
Moreover, in a manual case processing setting, storing and accessing case files and documents is cumbersome. Documents stockpiled in ordinary storage rooms deteriorate over time, and there is also a risk of document tampering and even theft.
How e-filing helps
E-filing automates self-service filing of documents, on the web and on mobile. Court staff can verify documents quickly as they are filed and notify parties directly if a resubmission is needed. Any document filed during the litigation can be submitted to the court system directly by any case party, and responses can be shared with the associated parties immediately. This reduces case processing time considerably, makes court administration more efficient and saves the costs of case filing.
E-filing, combined with an online collaboration infrastructure for virtual appearances and hearings and an open, efficient case management system, can automate the litigation process within a court to deliver justice on time.
