Kochi: The Kalpetta judicial district in Kerala’s Wayanad has become the first district in India to operate as a completely paperless court system, marking a significant milestone in the country’s judicial digitisation efforts.
Under the new system, all courts in the district will function entirely in digital mode, from the filing of cases to the delivery of final judgments. Every stage of the judicial process, including pre-trial proceedings, recording of evidence, interlocutory applications, and final adjudication, will now be conducted electronically.
The system integrates Artificial Intelligence-based judicial assistance tools, which generate structured case summaries from digital records, enabling judges to quickly understand the factual and procedural background of cases. Interactive question-and-answer features allow judicial officers to query case-specific details, while digital annotation tools enable judges to record notes and highlight relevant legal provisions directly on electronic files.
Additionally, voice-to-text technology ensures accurate transcription of witness depositions and judicial dictation. Judicial orders and judgments are authenticated through secure digital signatures, guaranteeing their legal validity, integrity, and authenticity.
The entire system has been developed in-house by the Kerala High Court. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that launching the project in Wayanad, an ecologically sensitive region of the Western Ghats, reflected a commitment to “green jurisprudence.” He added that the move would democratise access to justice by removing dependence on physical records and enabling real-time access to court documents for all stakeholders, regardless of location.
Supreme Court E-Committee chairperson Justice Vikram Nath described the Kalpetta model as a scalable and replicable framework for district courts across India.
Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar highlighted the benefits for litigants and lawyers, including reduced costs, faster case processing, and fewer clerical delays. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar noted that in-house development of AI tools addressed concerns over unreliable data, while Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V emphasised that the transition was achieved through close consultation with all stakeholders.
Representatives of the Bar also assured their continued cooperation to expand digitisation across the State.
With IANS inputs