FASTER system of the Supreme Court

Table of Contents

FASTER system-Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Important aspects of governance
- E-governance– applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential.

Supreme Court has introduced a new system called the FASTER system that will facilitate e-transfer of orders to jails and result in prisoner release.
The process for developing the FASTER system began after SC took suo motu cognizance of a case regarding the delay in the release of convicts after granting of bail’.

FASTER is an acronym “Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records”. Under it, the e-authenticated copies of the record of proceedings/orders, digitally signed by the authorized officer may be transmitted to the duty-holders of the justice system.
Background: Presently the undertrials are made to wait for days on end behind bars to be released because the certified hard copies of their bail orders were late to reach the prison.
- The FASTER System will remedy this injustice against undertrials along with ensuring speedy justice delivery on the ground.
Objective of the FASTER system: It aims to ensure undertrials are not made to wait for days on end to be released.
Expected benefits: Through the FASTER system, the Supreme Court’s crucial decisions, including orders on bail and stay of arrest, can be communicated electronically to prison authorities and investigating agencies through a secure channel.

The FASTER system will promote the fundamental rights of life, dignity and personal liberty of prisoners, hence deepening the constitutional values.
The FASTER system would also prevent unnecessary arrests and custody of people even after the court has already granted them its protection.
- It may even communicate a stay on an execution ordered by the final court on time.