Acting Chief Justice inaugurates e-HCR website for facilitating search of judgments reported by the Indian Law Reports

The Voice of Chandigarh :

Punjab and Haryana High Court Acting Chief Justice, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia today inaugurated the e-HCR (High Court Reporter) website (www.hcph.gov.in) for facilitating the search of all judgments reported by the Indian Law Reports (ILR) Punjab and Haryana series. This digital platform aligns with the Supreme Court of India’s vision to encourage online High Court Reporters, following the lines of e-SCR.

During the inauguration ceremony, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal, Chairperson of the Library, ILR and Calendar Committee along with esteemed members of the Council of Law Reporting and the Library, ILR and Calendar Committee joined the Hon’ble Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and representatives from the High Court Bar Association. In addition, all District and Sessions Judges from Punjab, Haryana, and U.T. Chandigarh, along with representatives from their respective District Bar Associations, attended the event virtually.

Notably, the Indian Law Reports (ILR) have been in publication since 1875 following the enactment of the Indian Law Reports Act. The Punjab series began in the post-independence era, eventually evolving into the current Indian Law Reports (Punjab and Haryana series) after the formation of the Haryana state in November 1966. Judgments have been traditionally published in physical format but are now made accessible online through the e-HCR website.

Currently, the website features an extensive collection of judgments, including 9,237 judgments, out of which 825 are Full Bench judgments and 3,870 are Division Bench judgments. Users can search these judgments using various parameters, making it a valuable resource for judges, lawyers and students alike. Notably, users can access and read judgments in vernacular languages, such as Punjabi for judgments originating from Punjab and Hindi for those from Haryana and U.T. Chandigarh.

One Editor and sixteen Advocate-reporters are currently working at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, contributing their expertise to ensure the accuracy and availability of legal information on the e-HCR platform.

The e-HCR website ensures transparency, efficiency and accessibility of legal information for everyone. This platform also contributes to the ongoing digitalization efforts in the Indian judicial system, reducing reliance on physical documentation and enabling faster access to crucial information for all stakeholders.