Supreme Court Moves Court Fee Payments Online

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has entered into a tripartite agreement with the State Bank of Pakistan and 1LINK (Guarantee) Limited to introduce a digital payment infrastructure for court-related financial transactions, marking a significant step towards the digitisation of judicial administration and public service delivery.

The agreement was executed at the Supreme Court in the presence of the Registrar, senior court officials, and representatives of the State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation and 1LINK.

Under the proposed framework, litigants, advocates, and other court users will be able to pay court fees electronically through approved digital payment channels once the system becomes operational.

The initiative is designed to replace the existing manual legal fee stamp mechanism, which has traditionally been used for payment of court fees and related judicial charges.

According to the Supreme Court, the transition to a digital payment model is intended to enhance efficiency, transparency, accessibility, and accountability in court-related financial transactions.

The new system is expected to streamline fee collection processes, minimise delays associated with manual verification procedures, and reduce administrative burdens currently borne by court staff.

The court further noted that digitisation of payments would significantly reduce dependence on paper-based processes while improving record management and transaction traceability.

From a governance perspective, the initiative is expected to strengthen financial controls by creating an auditable electronic trail of payments, thereby reducing operational inefficiencies and enhancing transparency in judicial fee administration.

The digital payment framework forms part of the Supreme Court's broader institutional reform programme aimed at leveraging technology to modernise judicial operations and improve access to justice.

Officials participating in the signing ceremony emphasised that technological integration remains essential for improving institutional performance, strengthening public facilitation, and delivering citizen-centric services.

The court stated that implementation of electronic payment mechanisms would contribute to wider digital governance objectives while supporting the modernisation of Pakistan’s judicial infrastructure.

For litigants and legal practitioners, the proposed system is expected to provide greater convenience through faster payment processing, reduced physical visits for fee-related formalities, and improved accessibility to judicial services through digital channels.

The initiative also aligns with broader national efforts to expand digital financial services, promote cashless transactions, and increase the adoption of technology-driven public sector solutions across Pakistan.