Gone are the days when advocates clad in grey gowns came to courts pedalling old bicycles with a bunch of files clipped in their carrier or a clerk or juniors following them with case files in both hands.
With the changing times, these legal eagles have moved in tandem with the digital era. The heavy law books have now shrunk to the compact tablet PC.
Most advocates, especially youngsters, believe that the I-Phone and tabs have made their working comfortable as they are more economical for them and save a lot of space also. Instead of spending money on law books, they prefer to go for law software for tablets PCs.
A High Court lawyer Raja Vijaya Raghavan, who is using this latest technology Tab, said that it has made the working style of lawyers more convenient and userfriendly. He also feels that if the judges make use of the laptops provided to them during court hours, it would make court proceedings faster and easier.
Kerala High Court Advocates Association secretary M R Nandakumar said that out of the 4,400 association members, as many as 1,000 have slowly moved out of the ‘file culture’ by using the device.
“These tabs have also given us more access to landmark judgments. With this, lawyers also need not carry or sift through the pages of thick law books for ready reference,” he said.
Advocate Jaju Babu said that the court should provide free Wi-Fi coverage for lawyers. Using tabs or even smart phones should be encouraged, he added. “From filing to the finish of arguments, everything has to become part of the online system, with talk or chat or facility for interaction between us and judges,” said Jaju Babu.
Advocate Saritha David Chunkath, who has been using this device for quite some time, said that she has been lauded many a time by the court for using the I-Phone as it has helped speed up the argument. “I can easily access Kerala High Court Cases journal, Supreme Court cases and All-India Report and Criminal Journal easily using tab. It also saves lot of court time and helps in preventing adjournment of cases,” she said.