Amid surge of COVID-19 issues of e-filing
raised by Practicing Advocates , highcourt provided the facility of e filing and listing of cases through the electronic mode along with the setup of help desk to resolve the issues but serious grievances raised by the practicing Advocates. 52 advocates practicing before the Allahabad High Court have written to the Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and other senior judges, highlighting issues regarding e-filing and listing of cases which have been filed through the electronic mode and raised serious grievances against the help desk setup to aid the lawyers in e-filing and virtual hearings. The person sitting at the helpdesk completely clueless as to the status of cases, giving worthless responses like "aa jayega", "aata hoga", "intzar kijiyega".
And suggesting some corrective measures as:
1. Advocates must be allowed to upload and file the soft copies of writs petition, appeals and applications etc. directly on the e-filing portal.
2. State, Union and Local bodies should be directed to accept a notices via email instead of hard copies.
3. Prompt listing of cases with defects which may be rectified later on.
4. Hearing via virtual open court.
5. Urgent mentioning via Virtual Court.
6. Streaming of urgent applications.
7. Strengthening of helpdesk services.
8. Accountability of administrative functions.
9. Switching over to better software.
10. Option for court fee payment on the High Court website.
Effective and feasible suggestions.