The High Court of Sikkim was declared the country’s first paperless court at the inaugural session of the Conclave on Technology and Judicial Education in Gangtok, marking a milestone in India’s digital justice reforms.
The two-day conference, organised by the Sikkim High Court in collaboration with the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India, was inaugurated at Chintan Bhawan on Friday in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, and Sikkim's chief minister, Prem Singh Tamang Golay.
The Chief Justice said the move signalled a decisive shift from paper-based systems to a digital ecosystem aimed at making justice more accessible, efficient and transparent.
Chief Justice Surya Kant, in his inaugural address, described Gangtok as an “ideal venue” for the changes, saying the setting under Mt Kanchenjunga reflected how “ideas too could rise to great heights”.
He noted that difficult terrain in regions like Sikkim had historically made access to courts a “test of endurance”, but technology was now “redrawing the map of access to justice”.
“Digital networks are creating new pathways… the digital highway is connecting citizens directly to judicial forums,” he said, adding that the goal was to ensure justice without requiring litigants to travel long distances.
All filings at the Sikkim High Court will now be made digitally by lawyers, without the use of paper.
The Chief Justice underlined that technological integration was helping dismantle barriers posed by geography, cost and distance, extending access even to remote regions such as North Sikkim, the Western Ghats and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
He also highlighted the role of initiatives like the e-Courts project and judicial data systems, which provide real-time insights into court performance, calling them “central to monitoring the health of the justice delivery system”.
Referring to artificial intelligence tools such as Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUPACE) and Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court Efficiency (SUVAS), he said these were acting as “force multipliers” by assisting judges in translation and summarising case files, allowing greater focus on complex legal issues.
However, he cautioned that the journey towards full digitisation was ongoing and stressed the need for standardisation through systems like the National Court Case Information System (NCCIS), along with the expansion of e-Seva Kendras to bridge the digital divide.
The Chief Justice emphasised that these developments must be accompanied by reforms in legal education, including training judges to understand artificial intelligence and its ethical implications.
He congratulated the Sikkim High Court under Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque for achieving the distinction of becoming India’s first paperless High Court.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who attended the inaugural session, termed the development a “historic milestone” and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to digital governance and judicial reforms.
He said the conclave, held during Sikkim’s Golden Jubilee year of Statehood, was a matter of pride and expressed confidence that it would help build a “modern, responsive and citizen-centric judicial system”.
Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan highlighted the growing importance of technology in strengthening justice delivery, but added that artificial intelligence must be guided by constitutional principles and ethical safeguards.
Sikkim's advocate general, Basava Prabhu S. Patil, described the transition as a shift towards a more efficient and transparent system, stressing the importance of training and robust infrastructure.
Attorney General of India, R. Venkataramani, called for a rethinking of access to justice in the digital age and Justice JK Maheshwari emphasised that technology must enhance, not replace, human judgement.
The session concluded with Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai stressing that while technology can improve efficiency and access, it cannot substitute the “human conscience” central to justice.