Verified

Courts go paperless as e-filing launched

Colombo, Sep. 25 (Daily Mirror) - Electronic filing of Court cases has been introduced at the Colombo District Court as part of the island-wide e-Courts Project implemented under the Judicial Service Commission.

Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena inspected the new system at the Small Claims Court of the Colombo District Court in Colombo 7 on Wednesday. The facility has been introduced for Small Claims cases for the first time and is expected to be expanded gradually to other types of cases and Courts across the country.

Senior Counsel Shirani Gunawardena submitted the first electronic case file to the Colombo Small Claims Court, marking the commencement of the new system.

Under the system, attorneys-at-law registered with the Supreme Court will be able to access their user accounts through the Colombo District Court website and file cases and related documents electronically. The facility will be available 24 hours a day, reducing the need for physical visits to court solely to submit documents.

The e-filing system is expected to reduce paper use and storage costs while improving the management of case records, access to information and the efficiency of court proceedings.

The system has been developed under the guidance of the Chief Justice, with technical development carried out by Sri Lanka Telecom in collaboration with the Judicial Service Commission.

Further digital services are planned under the e-Courts Project, including voice-to-text technology for recording Court proceedings and online issuance of certified copies of court records. Authorities also plan to provide individual court websites with case information, case-file management systems and electronic filing facilities.

As part of the initiative, Senior Counsel donated 15 computers to the Colombo District Court to support the new electronic facilities.

The Judicial Service Commission has said the digitalisation programme will be expanded to courts across the country, with the aim of creating a more efficient and accessible court system.