Justice NV Ramana, the Supreme Court judge, on Saturday said that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced institutions to use innovative technology to work within the constraints of public health guidelines and such techniques will prove to be long-standing solutions.
Addressing a mega E-Lok Adalat orgsed by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) under the aegis the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA, he said, "The pandemic has caused disruptions and forced institutions to conceptualise and adopt innovative technology solutions to function within the constraints of public health guidelines."
"The present circumstances have required the integration of technology in allowing remote contactless support to facilitate access to justice," he added.
Observing that the techniques will help in the long run, Justice Ramana said, "The techniques and methods which we have adopted during this time to get over this pandemic will prove to be solutions for long-standing problems."
While recognising the enormous potential of E-Lok Adalat for Karnataka, he stated, "Approximately 17.59 lakhs cases are pending before the subordinate courts. I strongly believe, it is high time for us to consider effective methods of settling cases in the pre-litigation stage itself which will definitely reduce the stress on the courts."
As 60 per cent of the population in Karnataka live in far-flung areas, the district and taluka legal service authorities should work towards strengthening the infrastructure so as to ensure that video conferencing facilities are accessible to the rural population, Justice Ramana further said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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