PIL before Rajasthan HC Seeks WhatsApp Channel to Streamline Case Information

The Rajasthan High Court has issued notice in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to create an official WhatsApp channel for sharing case details and orders with lawyers and litigants, in order to ensure easier access to information.

The division bench of Justices Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Bipin Gupta has sought a response from the Registrar General of the High Court and the Principal Secretary of the Department of Law and Legal Affairs.

Filed by Advocate Vivek Firoda, the plea calls for the broadcast of all information related to cases lodged by concerned advocates, along with the corresponding order sheets, as soon as they are uploaded on the court’s website.

“The present writ petition is being filed in the form of a Public Interest Litigation to initiate the broadcast of all the information related to the cases lodged by the concerned advocates and the concerned order sheets of those matters as soon as they are uploaded on the website, with details of the case as well as the daily and supplementary cause lists on a single/separate channel,” the plea states.

Firoda, a staunch supporter of leveraging the benefits of Information Technology, has pointed towards the changing times and emphasised the huge impact such access will have on the working of all counsels as well as the parties involved.

It has been further submitted that the petitioner was inspired by private legal-tech apps like Provakil and Haelo, which already provide centralized, hassle-free updates. These apps, the petition submits, instantly upload cause lists as soon as they are released. They also reflect new orders or documents filed in a case, allowing lawyers real-time access. This, Firoda states, saves time and helps lawyers focus on other work rather than chasing updates.

While acknowledging that the Rajasthan High Court itself has taken some steps toward centralisation, the plea points out that the high court has started uploading cause lists on Telegram through a unified channel and that filing updates are already being forwarded to the registered mobile number through SMS services. However, the plea submits that this creates an avoidable friction of switching between two apps for seeking information.

“If both the aforesaid details can be provided to everyone through creation of an official number/channel on WhatsApp which can provide cause lists, e-filing details as well as uploading of all the orders and judgments of the cases filed by the advocate concerned on the registered WhatsApp number in a personalized manner then that will only ensure smooth functioning for the advocates,” the plea before the High Court submits.

The petitioner has also cited initiatives launched by former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud in April 2024, under which advocates and parties receive automatic updates of e-filing details, cause lists, orders, judgments and registry objections on WhatsApp, as well as a similar exercise adopted by the Delhi High Court in September 2024.

Further, the plea highlights that the initiation of such practices will only further bolster the functioning of the court as well as the advocates. Such initiatives, over a long enough period of time, are expected to save countless hours that advocates could otherwise devote to productive tasks.

Firoda has urged the Rajasthan High Court to issue a series of directions aimed at modernising and streamlining access to judicial information. He has asked that the High Court, through its Registrar General (Respondent No. 1), and the State of Rajasthan, through its Principal Secretary, Law and Legal Affairs Department (Respondent No. 2), be directed to frame rules that would allow advocates to access digitised copies of files already pending before the court.

The plea further seeks that both respondents put in place a mechanism for providing e-true certified copies of orders as soon as they are uploaded on the High Court website.

It has also asked the High Court to revisit the preparation of cause lists, particularly the “orders” category, so that every application is distinctly classified and parties are fully aware of its nature. Alongside, the State Government has been urged to provide the necessary financial resources to implement these reforms.

Case Title: Vivek Firoda vs Rajasthan High Court

Order Date: 20 August 2025

Bench: Justices Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Bipin Gupta