न्यायिक सेवा डिजिटल बनाउन सर्वोच्चद्वारा सूचना प्रविधि नीति पारितSupreme Court Endorses ICT Policy to Advance E-Judiciary

The Supreme Court has endorsed the “Judiciary Information and Communication Technology Policy–2083” with the aim of making judicial services more technology-friendly, efficient and transparent. The policy has been introduced as part of a long-term plan to gradually implement the concept of an e-judiciary in Nepal.

The policy was approved by a full court meeting of the Supreme Court on Asar 10. The meeting was attended by Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma and all justices of the apex court. Supreme Court spokesperson Arjun Koirala said the policy was endorsed after necessary revisions were made to the initial draft.

The new policy is linked to the Supreme Court’s Fifth Five-Year Strategic Plan, which prioritises the development of an information technology-based judicial system. Its main objective is to gradually automate judicial procedures, simplify service delivery and improve the overall performance of courts through digital systems.

Earlier, on Falgun 22, 2081, the Supreme Court had formed a committee to draft the ICT policy. The committee was led by Justice Bal Krishna Dhakal. Chief Registrar Bimal Paudel, Registrar Man Bahadur Karki, Chief Executive Officer of the Electronic Governance Board Dipesh Bista and Joint Secretary at the National Planning Commission Harisharan Pudasaini were among its members.

The committee also included Supreme Court IT Manager Satyaram Maharjan and the joint registrar of the court’s Information Technology Division as member secretary. The committee was tasked with recommending a policy to make judicial services faster, more reliable and more effective through the maximum use of information technology.

The proposal prepared by the committee was later revised and approved by the full court. Under the new policy, court infrastructure, service delivery, record management and administrative procedures will be gradually transformed into digital systems.

A separate “e-justice portal” will also be developed to make judicial services more accessible to service seekers. Through the portal, people will be able to access various court-related services online.

According to Supreme Court Joint Registrar Shreelal Paudel, the policy gives priority to efficiency, transparency, innovation, wider access to justice and data security. He said digital systems and automation would be used to modernise judicial work in a phased manner.

The policy also focuses on protecting court records, case files and important judicial documents during disasters or other emergencies. The Supreme Court expects that digital record management will reduce the risk of loss or damage to important documents during incidents such as fire, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

A detailed “e-judiciary master plan” will be prepared for the implementation of the policy. The master plan will cover the expansion of technological infrastructure, development and upgrading of software systems, strengthening of cyber security, capacity building of human resources, data management and expansion of digital services.

The Supreme Court has stated that the new ICT policy will serve as an important foundation for making Nepal’s judicial administration suitable for the digital age. The court expects the policy to strengthen good governance, transparency and the institutional use of modern technology in the justice system.