Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, inaugurated the Remote Adjudication Magisterial Courts for e-filed Negotiable Instruments (N.I.) Cases of Ahmedabad City. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Gujarat High Court Auditorium on 7th December 2024, in the presence of Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, Hon’ble Law Minister Shri Rushikeshbhai Patel, Hon’ble Sitting Judges of the Gujarat High Court, Advocate General Mr. Kamal B. Trivedi, and other dignitaries.
The High Court of Gujarat, in a Full Court meeting held on 02-12-2024, resolved to implement mandatory e-filing and Remote Adjudication with Video Conferencing for the cases of dishonour of cheques under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. This applies to cases instituted by Banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for the jurisdiction of Chief Judicial Magistrates’ (CJM) Courts of Ahmedabad City.
The resolution further recommended to the Government of Gujarat the designation of Magisterial Courts across the State of Gujarat as “Remote Adjudication Courts.” These courts will adjudicate cases of dishonour of cheques e-filed under the jurisdiction of Ahmedabad City’s CJM Courts. A SARAS N.I. Court Establishment was created for these cases under the CJM Courts of Ahmedabad City. These cases will be identified under the case type ‘eCriminal Case’ and adjudicated digitally.
On 5th December 2024, the Government of Gujarat issued a notification extending the jurisdiction of all Magisterial Courts in the state for e-filed Negotiable Instrument Act cases. Simultaneously, the High Court of Gujarat nominated Judicial Officers from Ahmedabad, Anand, Narmada, and Gir Somnath as Presiding Officers of SARAS N.I. Courts. These officers will continue working at their respective locations while presiding over these Remote Adjudication Courts.
The system’s key features include:
- Video conferencing-enabled adjudication of cases filed in Ahmedabad.
- Digital management of case records, with automated digital signing and transmission to lawyers and litigants.
- Remote access to courts, reducing the need for physical appearances and new court infrastructure.
This initiative, under the leadership of Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, is expected to optimize judicial and infrastructural resources, combat case arrears, and support economic and commercial litigants. It represents a pioneering step in modernizing the justice delivery system.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant highlighted the significance of technology in expediting commercial cases, which influence economic development and the perception of justice systems globally.
The inauguration function was live-streamed on YouTube.
