Rope in IIT to upload laws on website, HC suggests Maha govt

The Bombay High Court today said the Maharashtra government can take the help of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to upload the state-published Acts on its website for the benefit of litigants and courts.

A bench, headed by Justice Abhay Oka, made the suggestion while hearing a petition filed by the High Court administration seeking certain facilities for the courts.

Government Pleader Abhinandan Vagyani said the state government was proposing to appoint a consultant by floating a tender to upload the state Acts on the government website so that they can become readily available.

The court remarked that this process might take more than six months, so the government can rope in experts from IIT-Bombay instead.
On behalf of the High Court administration, senior counsel S R Nargolkar argued that the government has its own panel of experts for software development from which it can appoint the consultants for this task.

Nargolkar said copies of the Acts published by the government are often not available in the courts and the judges cannot rely on privately-published Acts because they may contain mistakes.

The petition also seeks separate enclosures for the minors who are examined under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Currently, a minor witness/victim has to depose while facing the accused. This can put the child under pressure and inhibit him or her from telling the truth, Nargolkar said.

The petition also demands round-the-clock security in every court, saying that documents and seized evidence material are stored in the courts which must be guarded.

The government said steps were being taken to provide 24-hour security. CCTV cameras were installed in Bandra court in Mumbai and there was a proposal to provide them in other courts too.

The next hearing would be on February 25.