In India, a collaborative of changemakers have come together as PUCAR (Public Collective for Avoidance and Resolution of Dispute) to tackle the issue of overburdened courts due to suboptimal use of technology. As per the latest findings, there is a backlog of over 5 crore pending legal cases. PUCAR’s research shows that out of the massive backlog, cheque bounce and motor vehicle accident claims form 22% of these cases. To improve efficiency of new cases that are going to be coming into the courts and decrease the pendency of cases, the coalition is initiating a digital transformation in legal case management. All in all, this initiative aims to improve the experience of all stakeholders, optimise its time and resources towards core judicial activities. As a part of this initiative, eGov is building a Digital Public Good (DPG) to help reimagine processes, from the minute the cheque bounces till the judgement of the court.
The goal is to address the issue through a platform-based approach, focusing initially on two key areas: Cheque Bounce and Motor Vehicle Accident Claims. This strategy leverages a platform model that reimagines dispute resolution from the ground up and creates a case for an efficient way of processing court cases.
This initiative reflects collaboration in action, with each member of PUCAR bringing a specialised skill set to the table. Agami leads the way with its legal expertise, especially in alternate dispute resolution. eGov Foundation’s DIGIT platform will form the solution’s technological backbone, while xKDR’s data analysis helps pinpoint improvement areas and bottlenecks. Samagra oversees program management and implementation.
PUCAR is looking at reimagining with a clean-sheet design to tackle the issue of overburdened courts. Using an ecosystem approach to drive change, they’re focusing on truly understanding what the courts need and building a scalable solution from scratch. This initiative is gaining momentum, with two states participating in pilot programs, leaving a lot to look forward to in how the solution for India’s legal case backlog will take shape.
PUCAR: Teams from Agami, Samagra, xKDR and eGov collaborate for legal tech solutions