Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Pankaj Mithal on Thursday directed that filing of fresh cases shall be done in physical/ virtual mode in the concerned wing of the High Court.
“In view of the availability of the facility of filing through e-mode as well in both wings of the High Court, no application shall be entertained for seeking permission to file a case, related to a particular wing, in other wing of the High Court,” the CJ said in an administrative order.
The order said in case a party opts for e-filing, for record purpose, such party shall also submit hard copy of the matter to the concerned wing of the High Court either physically or through any other available alternate mode like Registered Post, Speed Post etc with promptness.
The High Court, the order said, shall establish “Vidhik Seva Kendra” in both wings and also in each District of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to facilitate the filing of matters in concerned wings of the High Court through e-mode.
“Vidhik Seva Kendra shall also facilitate the litigants, who face any difficulty in filing their matters in the High Court, in forwarding the hard copies of their matters to the concerned wing of the High Court by Registered Post or Speed Post etc”.
The order said the litigants of Ladakh instead of travelling to Srinagar or Jammu for filing matters in the High Court, may approach to the “Vidhik Seva Kendra” in their district to avail the facility of filing their matters through e-mode with the help of “Vidhik Seva Kendra”.
“The matters of Ladakh so filed may, if possible and convenient, be heard in the concerned wing through video conferencing”
According to the order, the matters filed in physical mode would be processed by the Registry in the normal mode to be placed before the Bench concerned as per the roster and a soft copy of it would also be prepared for the record purpose. “Similarly, where the matters are filed through e-mode, for facilitating immediate hearing of such matters, the Registry shall take print out of such matters and place it before the roster bench hearing the matter”, the order said.