The Panchthar District Court has started regularizing the work of taking witness statements, taking statements and advocacy in the case through virtual means.

According to the court, this arrangement has been made for the parties, witnesses and beneficiaries of the case who cannot be physically present. In this way, it is said that judicial proceedings will be easy, simple and accessible when pleadings and debates are conducted.

Court information officer Gopal Khanal informed that along with the plaintiffs and defendants who are in different countries of the pending case in the court, the statements of the parties to be understood, the witness statements and arguments of legal professionals, reconciliation discussions etc. have been done regularly through virtual means.

'Using information technology mainly in judicial proceedings not only provides convenience to the clients, but also saves their time and expenses, when the work of taking bank notes and statements is completed on time, the case will be speeded up',  Information Officer Khanal said.  Khanal also says that by making statements, letters and debates through

video conference, parties and clients who are physically far away will have easy access to justice. Last time, the Panchthar District Court took the bank papers of three victims of polygamy cases in Portugal, Dubai, Qatar and Oman through virtual means and all those women went to work abroad and after their husbands married a second time at home, they gave bank papers through video conference in the case of the victims.

Similarly, in the case where the child who is in conflict with the law is the defendant, 2 people in the Children's Correctional Home, Biratnagar were connected to the child through virtual means and were given a doctor's note by the order of the court. Pitam Khatiwada, head of information technology of the court, informed that the bank letter was also sent through the same means.

It is said that Senior Advocate Khagraj Kattel, who is a legal practitioner in the case pending in this court, was debated through video conference from Elam. 

In this way, when information technology is used in the judicial proceedings of the court, the parties, stakeholders, witnesses and legal professionals who are physically present in the case get an opportunity to hear and see.

'Before connecting the parties through virtual means, the relevant person is taught how to use technology, how to use the software, after the person who comes to the virtual is prepared in all respects, they are given a speech, debate, statement or paper according to the purpose for which they have been called,' says Khatiwada, head of information technology.

Even though the law gives the right to the parties, witnesses or lawyers who cannot be physically present to make statements and debates through virtual means, this practice has been rarely done in the district courts. Information Officer Khanal says that this exercise was started on the initiative and direction of Judge Kumar Maske, who was transferred to this court last October.