Supreme Court signs deal to introduce digital payments for judicial services

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday signed a tripartite agreement with the State Bank of Pakistan and 1LINK (Guarantee) Ltd to bring digital payment solutions into judicial processes, as part of the court’s wider digitisation and public facilitation drive.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the Supreme Court registrar and senior court officials, along with senior representatives of the State Bank and 1LINK. According to the information released about the development, the initiative is linked to the Supreme Court’s broader reform agenda aimed at promoting citizen-centric service delivery through technology-based systems.

Electronic payment of court fees

Once the system is implemented, litigants and lawyers will be able to pay court fees electronically through approved digital channels. This will replace the existing manual legal fee stamp mechanism, introducing a payment process intended to be more efficient, transparent and accessible.

The digital payment framework is expected to simplify financial transactions related to judicial services, shorten processing times and reduce administrative workload. It is also intended to lessen reliance on paper-based procedures while improving transparency, accountability and ease of access for litigants and other users of the court system.

Part of broader judicial modernisation

Participants in the signing ceremony underscored the importance of using technology to improve institutional efficiency and facilitate the public. The initiative is also expected to support wider goals of digital governance and the modernisation of judicial administration in Pakistan.

The agreement marks another step in the Supreme Court’s ongoing efforts to digitise its operations and improve public-facing services through technology-enabled reforms.