Virtual hearings amid COVID-19 helped in justice delivery: Rijiju at SCO meet

In this emerging era of digitisation and new possibilities, he Rijiju called upon all the SCO partners to commit to promote technology in all fields and adopting, developing new mechanisms like ADRs in the legal system of all the SCO Member States, the statement said.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday lauded the government's e-Court project which helped the courts perform the task of justice delivery virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as he called upon all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) partners to commit to promote technology in all fields.

He also urged the members to adopt and develop mechanisms such as alternate dispute resolution in the legal system of all SCO member states.

Attending the 9th meeting of Ministers of Justice of the SCO member states in virtual mode, Rijiju mentioned the e-Courts Project and how it enhanced the judicial productivity, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system accessible, cost effective, transparent, accountable, efficient, and time bound.

According to a law ministry statement, he also highlighted an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, which offers a faster, transparent, and accessible option to the citizens of the country. ''... In this emerging era of digitisation and new possibilities, he (Rijiju) called upon all the SCO partners to commit to promote technology in all fields and adopting, developing new mechanisms like ADRs in the legal system of all the SCO Member States,'' the statement said. The next meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the SCO Member States will be held in 2023 in China, it said.