This digital shift is expected to improve legal aid access for inmates, ensure timely registration and listing of cases, and enhance overall efficiency in the judicial process within Kerala’s prison system.
Published Jun 27, 2025 | 11:43 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 27, 2025 | 11:43 AM
Kerala High Court. (Creative Commons)
In a significant move towards digital justice delivery, the High Court of Kerala is set to implement an online filing system for jail appeals and other judicial petitions submitted by prisoners, starting 1 July 2025.
The initiative, directed by Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, aims to streamline the filing and processing of such cases, which are currently prepared in paper form and physically sent to the High Court.
Recognising the absence of an electronic alternative, the court has extended its e-filing facility to prison authorities, enabling faster, transparent, and trackable case processing.
Two Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to guide the transition.
The first SOP details the process for online filing of jail appeals and petitions through the Case Management System (CMS) login credentials provided to designated jail officers.
The second, prepared by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), ensures uniformity in the provision of legal aid services, jail visiting lawyers, and transmission of appeal documents to the High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC).
The system also covers applications received by District Judges from prisoners requiring criminal appeals, revisions, or other petitions before the High Court. However, appeals filed by private counsel on behalf of prisoners will remain outside this framework.
This digital shift is expected to improve legal aid access for inmates, ensure timely registration and listing of cases, and enhance overall efficiency in the judicial process within Kerala’s prison system.
