The Gujarat High Court has launched a hybrid hearing platform for taluka family courts across the State. 

Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel inaugurated the platform on December 7, enabling family court judges to adjudicate cases remotely within their jurisdictional taluka courts. 

The event was graced by Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, State Law Minister Rushikeshbhai Patel, Advocate General Kamal B. Trivedi, other sitting High Court judges, and distinguished dignitaries.

Recently established cluster family courts at the taluka level have extended their jurisdiction to cover all talukas within their respective districts, operating from the taluka headquarters.

"These 73 Cluster Taluka Family Courts, wherein Family Court Judges are presiding over multiple Taluka Family Courts as per the sitting schedules of different days/dates during the month (depending upon the pendency), are now enabled as hybrid as well as remote adjudication Courts, with inauguration of eGujSWAS (eGujarat Scanning Workflow Automation System) with facilitation of authentic scanned version of digital case files from Taluka Courts to the Presiding Judges of Family Courts sitting at District headquarters or Cluster Taluka Family Courts," the High Court said in a press release.

The High Court administration highlighted the platform's key features, emphasizing the digitization of family court case files to enable presiding officers to access them remotely from any taluka court. 

Additionally, videoconferencing facilities have been made available for all taluka family courts, ensuring seamless virtual hearings, according to the authorities.

"As the Presiding Officer is holding regular sittings at the Taluka Cluster Family Court Headquarter and not the Talukas included in the cluster (mentioned as Jurisdictional Talukas), a facility has been established both at the Taluka Cluster Family Court Headquarters and Jurisdictional Talukas with Video Conferencing Rooms to enable litigants / Ld. Advocates to address the Presiding Officer of the Taluka Cluster Family Court for fresh filing as well as for evidence recording, except for Conciliation Sittings," the press release stated.

The platform also allows fresh case filings to be made directly at the jurisdictional taluka court, eliminating the need for litigants and advocates to travel to the taluka cluster headquarters or district headquarters of the family court.

"These digital hybrid hearing Family Courts with remote adjudication aim to be the first of its kind facilitating the easiest possible access to the litigants of the most important judicial forum of the nation from a social perspective i.e. the Family Courts," the High Court administration said.