Bhubaneswar: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has reiterated that the responsibility of establishing a new high court bench lies with the state government, while also highlighting the diminishing importance of such demands due to the rise of e-courts. Speaking to reporters in Cuttack, Meghawal emphasized that the process for establishing a new bench can only begin after receiving recommendations from the Chief Justice of the high court and the chief minister of the respective state. He further stated that the demand for high court benches may significantly decrease with the growing establishment of e-courts and the digitization of high courts across the country. Meghwal commended the progress made by Odisha in adopting e-courts.
This statement follows an earlier reply by Meghwal to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, where he stated that there were no proposals from the Odisha government for establishing a permanent high court bench in western Odisha. However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written multiple letters to the Centre between September 2018 and January 2019, expressing the need for high court benches in both western and southern Odisha. In response to one of these letters, the then Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad advised the Chief Minister to submit a detailed report to the Centre, considering factors such as the high court’s opinion, the location for the bench, and the provision of infrastructure for judges.
The union law minister’s recent comments highlight the increasing significance of e-courts in streamlining the judicial system and easing the burden on high courts. With the establishment of e-courts and the digitization of legal processes, the demand for new benches may reduce, as cases can be effectively handled online. As the government actively pursues the adoption of e-courts across the country, the focus on establishing physical high court benches in different regions might shift.
It remains to be seen how the state government of Odisha will respond to Meghwal’s statements and whether they will prioritize the establishment of a new high court bench in Sambalpur or continue to explore the potential of e-courts. With the ongoing advancements in technology, the Indian judicial system is expected to witness further transformation, ensuring faster and more accessible justice for all.
