NEW DELHI:  Expressing concern over the delay in disposal of criminal cases, Supreme Court Judge Justice DY Chandrachud opined that technology is capable of addressing certain issues that  delays disposal of criminal cases.

Justice Chandrachud suggested that technology can play a vital role, especially in cases where accused person is absconding or official witnesses absenting themselves, and emphasised that time has come to make recording of evidence by official witnesses a rule as opposed to exception.

“I do believe we have answers in technology. One of the key initiatives which the E-Committee of the 
Supreme Court is now adopting is to ensure that we are able to tap and monitor those cases in which the 
accused are absconding. We must tap them at the level of police station and at the level of every district. We can then escalate it to the DGP of the state concerned,” he said.

Justice Chandrachud was speaking at the inauguration of Model Virtual Courtrooms in the districts of Angul and Nayagarh, Odisha. “We have to ensure that we bridge the digital divide for the members of the Bar by providing them resources. Those resources can be provided under the one-stop facility of providing e-seva Kendra in every district court,” he added.

“Technology, let us emphasise it to make life simpler and to make us more responsive. It is with this initiative in our mind that we take these baby steps which will go a long way in making justice speedy and more transparent,” he said.