The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has said that it is shocked to find that the Supreme Court is implementing a new e-filling software without any consultation with the association. The association learned about the development only after receiving a letter from the registry of the Supreme Court announcing a training program for the new software.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the matter, the SCAORA wrote a letter to the registry, seeking a meeting with the organisation. The association wrote in the letter, “We are shocked to receive the letter under response that the registry of the Supreme Court of India is proposing to bring in a new e-filing software. It is shocking because at no point in time SCAORA or its members have been consulted prior to launch of the proposed new e-filing software. It is expected from the Registry to have a detailed consultation and discussion with the members of SCAORA prior to any changes being considered to be made in the e-filing process.”
The Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association expresses shock at not being kept in loop by the top court registry regarding the implementation of the new e-filing software #SupremeCourtOfIndia #SupremeCourt pic.twitter.com/8cG8NE3fK2
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 4, 2023
In the letter, the association also suggested that the training on the new software should be given to chamber staff and junior colleagues also, not just to Advocates on Record of the Supreme Court. They said that this is needed because most e-fillings are done by junior lawyers and staff, not AORs who are senior lawyers.
“AoRs are senior and seasoned practitioners who contribute more on the drafting and settling of the pleadings, rather than merely e-filing the same,” the letter by SCAORA said.
SCAORA secretary advocate-on-Record Devvrat told LiveLaw, “The registry has sent us a letter announcing a training and awareness programme for the new module designed for e-filing. Our objection is that a module has been designed without taking into consultation SCOARA or any Advocate-on-Record, who are primarily responsible for filing the matters. We’re now being called for a training programme when we ought to have been consulted before designing this module itself.”
He said that designing a new module without consulting the people who will be using them can leave issues in the system, and such incidents have happened in the past. He added, “The registrars who design the module usually leave with the change in the chief justice and we will be left with these modules that are designed without consulting the actual end users who are Advocates-on-Record. It has happened in the past, and we are afraid it will happen again. The registry should have informed us and taken our feedback in the designing process, instead of just calling us for a training and awareness session on a pre-designed module.”
It is notable an advocate-on-record is an advocate who can appear before the Supreme Court. As per Chapter IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, only an Advocate on Record (AOR) can appear, plead and address the Court in a matter on behalf of a client. An advocate needs to clear an exam conducted by the Supreme Court to become an AOR. AORs are difference from Senior Lawyers designated by the Supreme Court, and a Senior Lawyer must be accompanied by an AOR to appear in a case.
