ITAT: Four new e-courts to be launched, hearing through video-conferences

MUMBAI: The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal will launch e-courts in four cities from December 10 to facilitate hearing of cases via video-conferencing.

The tribunal, a quasi-judicial body, has set up webcast facilities at Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad, a first in the history of tax judiciary in India.

In a note, ITAT said the e-courts will follow the procedures that are laid out for the bench for hearing appeals in an open court. "There is no difference in procedures except that the bench and bar are at different places connected electronically," the note said.

ITAT president HL Karwa said the e-courts will help in clearing backlog of cases.

"Such facilities are expected to speed up the process of deciding the appeals," he said, adding, "At present 68,000 appeals are pending before the ITAT. The piled up cases can be decided within one year, considering that we have 75 ITAT members."

Karwa said if the e-court experiment is successful, ITAT would extend the facility to other centres.

He said from next month onwards, the notice for hearing will clearly mention whether it will take place in an e-court or regular court.