Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, March 31: Chief Justice N V Ramana today unveiled a software that will allow for the electronic transmission of court orders in a timely and secure manner, according to Live Law.
The approach is intended to expedite the release of prisoners who have been granted bail but must wait for hard copies of the court orders.
FASTER was established after a bench led by CJI Ramana took suo motu notice of delays in prisoners’ release even after they were granted bail on grounds such as non-receipt or non-verification of legal orders in July 2021.
The court had previously stated that, in the internet age, the jail officials appear to be relying on “ancient techniques” of communication such as “pigeons.”
The Supreme Court judges, Chief Justices, and Judges of High Courts all attended the online launch of the Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records (FASTER) software.
“The concept of FASTER took shape after reading a news report regarding prisoners not being released despite the Supreme Court granting them bail three days ago as the physical copies of the orders were not delivered to the prison officials,” the Chief Justice said.
The software will be implemented by 73 nodal officials chosen by the High Court. A total of 1,887 email addresses have been issued to these nodal officers, who are spread across the country.
The software, according to the Chief Justice, will broadcast bail rulings and include the digital signatures of Supreme Court officers. “The communication is limited to email id holders, ensuring confidentiality, safety, and security,” he explained.
