CJI N V Ramana launches software to transmit court orders swiftly: Technical Milestone
Indian Law Watch 
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Thursday launched FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) — a digital platform to communicate interim orders, stay orders, bail orders etc., of the Supreme Court to authorities concerned through a secured electronic communication channel.
- Action upon suo moto cognizance: Speaking at the launch event, the CJI recalled that the apex court worked upon the concept after coming across a newspaper report about delay in release of prisoners owing to the delay in physical orders reaching the prison authorities. Taking up the matter suo motu by Justices A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud, Hemant Gupta and others. Orders passed by the Supreme Court and other High Courts have to be transmitted safely without tinkering by third parties.
- Story that revolutionised FASTER: In July last year, a delayed release of convicts lodged in the Agra central jail even three days after the court had granted them bail caught attention of the honorable court. The court then directed the SC Secretary General to submit a proposal suggesting the modalities to implement the FASTER system. Accordingly, the Secretary General, in consultation with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave presented a report outlining the scheme and rules governing implementation of such a scheme, an official release said. The judiciary need congratulations as the FASTER system is developed on war footing by the Registry in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre.
- Nodal officers and digitally signed copies: To reach all districts of India through this system, so far 73 nodal officers have been nominated at various levels. All nodal officers have been connected through a specific Judicial Communication Network (JCN) by creating a secured pathway. A total of 1,887 e-mail IDs have been created for this system across the country and a FASTER cell has been established in the Registry of the Supreme Court. The cell will transmit digitally signed record of proceedings or orders related to bail and release passed by the court to the nodal officers and duty holders concerned through email.
- Expansion of FASTER: The CJI hoped that in the near future, as part of the second phase of the project, the SC would be able to transmit all records through this system dispensing altogether with the need to share hard copies.
- Checks loss of time: For the purposes of authentication, all such Orders or Record of Proceedings would bear digital signatures of authorised Nodal Officers of the Supreme Court as well as Institutional digital signatures. In this way, without loss of much time, such orders would be received by all concerned for necessary action at their end.
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Applicability of FASTER: The FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) system proposes the transmission of electronically certified copies of injunctive relief, stay orders, bail orders and procedural records to duty holders for compliance and proper enforcement via a secured electronic communication channel.
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