The obstacles in the dispensation of swift justice have compelled the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) to think of an out of the box solution. An SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa made history for hearing cases through the ‘e-court system.’ The step is a revolutionary one in operations of SCP. The comment of CJP, “Through the e-court system, we have saved Rs2 million and Rs2.5 million in one day alone that otherwise had to be borne by the litigants,” shows the satisfaction of the CJP with the operations of e-court as he had hinted at establishing the same facility for the Quetta registry in the next phase. Once all technological glitches are removed, then the SCP should ask the respective high courts of all the provinces to make arrangements in this regard. Taking assistance from technology on the level of high courts will be another step in the provision of swift and cheap justice.
Establishing e-courts in Pakistan was the brainchild of the incumbent CJP and he deserves all accolades for taking this revolutionary step. The establishment of e-courts will allow the courts to decide cases promptly. Moreover, the e-courts will not only save the precious time of the court; it will help the litigants and lawyers as well. The innovation will indeed reduce all kinds of inconvenience and expenses on the part of all concerned and will prove instrumental in deterring delays due to lack of the benches at the branch registries of the court. The use of technology in providing justice will, for sure, make justice more accessible, efficient and less expensive. Likewise, the litigants will be able to hire local lawyers to plead their cases, thus creating more earning opportunities for lawyers residing in smaller cities and towns of the country. Suffice to say that technology is creating a win-win situation for all.