Case Information System (CIS)

From Justice Definitions Project

What is Case Information System

The Case Information System (CIS) is a software that allows litigants to view information regarding their case online,  including the daily status, orders,hearing date, the progress of the case on any particular date etc. from any part of the world.[1] It is an end-to-end digitisation system.[2] CIS is available for district courts and high courts. It includes automated processes like filing, scrutiny, registration, listing, court proceedings, disposal and notice generation.[3]

Official Definition of Case Information System

The Supreme Court’s e-committee module on CIS 3.0 states that “The Case Information System software is a giant move under the initiative of the e-committee to make the Indian Judiciary more transparent and more litigant friendly.”[4]

CIS is divided into core and periphery modules. The Core is developed at NIC’s Software Development Unit, Pune and each state can develop their own periphery modules.[5]

CIS in district courts was launched as a part of phase one of the e-courts project beginning from 2007, which went on till 2015.[6] The first version of CIS for High Courts, HC CIS NC 1.0 was introduced in 2016.[7] The main aim of this is to enable uniformity in data structures with local variances so that horizontal and vertical integration can be made possible. This “provides seamless compatibility of application and data of CIS across all Courts of the country”.[8] As of July 2023, CIS National Core Version 3.2 is being implemented in District Courts and the CIS National Core Version 1.0 is being implemented for the High Courts.[9]

From CIS 1.0 to CIS 3.2 in district courts, there has been several technological advancements with new functionalities such as bilingual language settings, and integration with e-filing,National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) and e-courts services among others.[10] The CIS system is also linked with Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (“ICJS”) which allows for the the live electronic exchange of data between courts and police. It has been implemented in 21 High Courts.[11] The ICJS project aims to integrate the courts, police stations and prisons.[4]

Variation in CIS across High Courts

High Courts across the country have integrated a range of modules into CIS. CIS is also integrated with land records data in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad[12] and certain Talukas in Karnataka.[13]In Patna High Court, land records have been linked with CIS on a pilot basis.[14]

Bombay

In 2021, the Commercial Courts of Bombay integrated CIS with the MCA portal for fetching company-related information as a pilot project.[11] Other periphery modules introduced by the Bombay High Court include court display system, office info and remarks, records and proceedings information, report builder, file tracking system, certified copy system and decree system.[15]

Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh, the High Court is taking steps for implementing the NSTEP Project in the CIS 3.2 module. National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) has been launched for technology enabled process serving and issuing of summons. It has currently been implemented in 28 States/ UTs.[9] It is the CIS which generates the electronic processes in pdf format after which bailiffs will serve the process onto the respective parties.[16]

Himachal Pradesh

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh designed a module in CIS which provides facility of auto generation of Memo of Parties by stenographers and Judgment Writers while typing a Judgment/ order. The module will be beneficial for issuing summons and notices as all the details of the extra parties in a case will be auto populated which will save time.[13]

Punjab and Haryana

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has integrated a Surety Information Management System (SIMS) with CIS to create a centralised database of persons standing as sureties in different cases at district courts. Similarly, the CIS Crystal Reports Software (CCR) includes modules for developing reports of several items from CIS, such as peshi register, auto generated cause list, transfer cases, undated cases etc. An e-Statement function has also been set up to prepare monthly statements by Court clerks by fetching data through CIS.[17]

Jharkhand

The High Court of Jharkhand has introduced several innovative modules in CIS such as the Judgement/Order template that automatically generates the structure of Order/Judgement by fetching the details such as the Petitioners/Respondents, Advocates, Coram etc. halting manually typing.The Data Bank for CIS in High Court is a module that has been developed to provide an accumulated database of pending cases for listing the cases before respective Benches centrally as per requirement. Cases can be listed bench-wise, nomenclature-wise, subject wise and year-wise as per the requirement of benches.[18]

Rajasthan

Rajasthan has introduced a unique CIS report menuwhich  provides access to about 50 different types of reports to users providing ready reference for various statistical figures, administrative reports etc. No physical registers are now maintained in High Court as the report menu caters all the requirements.[19]

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand has developed and integrated a new module in CIS that changes the existing methodology of recording evidences/statements in Court. Hard copies are avoided and soft copies are now used which reduces human intervention and reduces delay in the transmission of copies to stakeholders.[20]

Karnataka

Karnataka has implemented an auto-dating function in the High Court CIS which ensures that  all the cases on the file of High Court is tagged with the date. A tentative, system generated date will be given to those cases where proceedings have been made without the next hearing date.[21]

Kerala


In Kerala, the High Court has implemented a CMS (Kerala) developed independently by the IT team of the High Court of Kerala which enables (1) e-filing, (2) online scrutiny of pleadings and (3) paperless courts. These features are enabled through modules that are accessible by the judges, registry staff and lawyers for the parties.[22]

Regional Variations in CIS

Several High Courts have customised CIS versions. These include:

  1. CIMS (Bombay)
  2. Executive Court Information System (Bihar)
  3. Case Management Information System (Chandigarh) and Court cases Monitoring System
  4. Court cases information system (Uttar Pradesh) 

References

  1. ↑ E-Committee, "Case Information System",available at: https://ecommitteesci.gov.in/division/case-information-system-cis/ (accessed on 16/08/23).
  2. ↑ Allahabad High Court, "Digital Courts: Vision and Roadmap" available at: https://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/event/event_9318_20-04-2021.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  3. ↑ NIC, "E-Courts". available at: https://www.nic.in/products/ecourts/ (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 eCommittee, "Case Management through CIS 3.0" 3. available at: https://ecourts.gov.in/ecourts_home/static/manuals/Case%20Management%20through%20CIS%203.0.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  5. ↑ Kerala Judicial Academy, "Training Manual for ECT 10_2022" 8. available at: https://kja.gov.in/kjauploads/media/training_manual_ect_10_1669890899.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  6. ↑ eCourts Mission, "E-Courts Mission Mode Project" available at:https://ecommitteesci.gov.in/project/brief-overview-of-e-courts-project/ (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  7. ↑ eCommittee, "eCommittee Newsletter" 3. available at: https://services.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindia_v6/newsletter/eCommitteeNewsletter_December2016.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  8. ↑ eCommittee, "Policy and Action Plan: Phase II of the e-courts project" 9. available at:https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2020/05/2020053169.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ministry of Law and Justice, "Use of Technology in Judicial Institutions". available at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1941500 (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  10. ↑ Kerala Judicial Academy, "Training Manual for ECT 10_2022". available at: https://kja.gov.in/kjauploads/media/training_manual_ect_10_1669890899.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Supreme Court of India, "Annual Report, 2020-2021" 127. available at: https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/AnnualReports/12012022_114003.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  12. ↑ Status of the eCourt projects. available at:https://ecommitteesci.gov.in/project/status-of-the-court-projects (accessed on 27/08/2023).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Supreme Court of India, "Annual Report, 2021-2022". available at: https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/AnnualReports/INDIAN%20JUDICIARY%20Annual%20Report%202021-22.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  14. ↑ Patna High Court, "E-initiatives and Best Practices". available at: https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/07/2023070699.pdf (accessed on 27/08/2023)
  15. ↑ Bombay High Court, "Catchment Area of e-Courts project". available at: https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/06/2023060277.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  16. ↑ e-Courts, "NSTEP- User Manual". available at: https://ecourts.gov.in/ecourts_home/static/manuals/NSTEP-User%20manual.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  17. ↑ Punjab and Haryana High Court, "National Conference on Digitisation, Paperless Courts and e-Initiatives". available at:https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/06/2023060273.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  18. ↑ High Court of Jharkhand, "e-Initiatives under e-Courts project". available at: https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/06/2023060227.pdf (accessed on 16/08/2023).
  19. ↑ Dr. Justice Nupur Bhati, "Digitization, Paperless Courts and E-filing". available at:https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/07/2023070661.pdf (accessed on 27/08/2023).
  20. ↑ High Court of Uttarakhand, "Computerization". available at:https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/07/2023070638.pdf (accessed on 27/08/2023).
  21. ↑ High Court of Karnataka," E-filing, digitalisation and e-initiatives". available at: https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388ef51f0bf911e452e8dbb1d807a81ab/uploads/2023/07/2023070671.pdf (accessed on 27/08/2023).
  22. ↑ DAKSH, "The Technological Transformation of Kerala High Court", available at: www.dakshindia.org/technological-transformation-of-kerala-high-court/ October 2023
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