PIL Seeking Hybrid Or Virtual Hearings In Family Courts: Supreme Court Issues Notice

Today (October 22, 2024), the Supreme Court (SC) bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra issued a notice in a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking hybrid hearings in Family Courts. The bench agreed to hear the matter and ordered, “Issue notice, returnable in six weeks.” The petition was filed by Advocate Kishan Chan Jain highlighting that hybrid hearings would ease the litigation process for parties and their family members. The PIL also mentions that over 11 lakh cases especially of custody, maintenance, and divorce are pending in family courts. The absence of hybrid or virtual hearings in the Family Courts adds to the litigant’s emotional and financial constraints. The PIL reads, “The backlog of over 11 lakh pending cases in Family Courts is causing significant delays in justice, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly.” The reliefs sought by the petitioner in the PIL are as follows:

• Establishment of necessary digital infrastructure in family courts, including video conferencing systems, e-filing portals, and online case management systems.
• Creation of a monitoring mechanism to ensure the smooth implementation of virtual hearing facilities in family courts;
• Centralized reporting system to track and categorize family court cases, enabling targeted reforms.
• Any other directions deemed fit by this Hon'ble Court to ensure timely justice and reduce the backlog in family courts.