How Do You Check A Legal Notice Online?

Today, with the digital world overflowing with information, how we retrieve and consume information is rapidly changing. Traditionally, legal notices were delivered by registered post or published in newspapers, but notices are now increasingly seen online. The ability to check legal notices online is soon becoming essential for individuals and businesses. There might be many reasons why someone must check for a legal notice online, like finding out about a case filed against you, monitoring any pending litigation, ensuring your business is abiding by regulatory requirements, or keeping up with property disputes.

In this article, you will get to know about:

• Ways to check a legal notice online.
• Various government portals to check legal notices online.
• Relevant FAQs.

Why You May Need To Check A Legal Notice Online?

Staying informed about legal matters that concern you or your business is paramount. Online platforms offer a convenient and often faster way to access this information.

Issued Against You

Receiving a legal notice can be a stressful experience. Whether it's for:

• Breach of Contract: A message from one of the parties alleging that the other has not performed according to the contract terms.
• Cheque Bounce (from Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881): A notice from a creditor informing of the dishonored cheque.
• Property Dispute: A notice regarding rights of ownership, encroachment, or any other issue concerning property owned or in connection with you.
• Cybercrime (Information Technology Act, 2000): A notice related to such online offence you are alleged to have committed.

Pending Court Cases

• Civil Cases are cases that concern individuals in private matters, such as property issues, contract disputes, and torts. These are filed under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• Criminal Cases involve offenses against the state, and can be anything from a minor offense to a serious crime. These are filed under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.
• Consumer Cases involve complaints filed by consumers against a business related to unfair trade practices or defective goods/services. These complaints are filed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• Corporate Cases involve lawsuits related to companies including mergers and acquisitions, and proceedings under the insolvency laws. Cases are filed under Corporate Cases also.

Business or Company Compliance

• NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) Notices (Companies Act, 2013): Notices in relation to insolvency proceedings, schemes of arrangement, merger & acquisitions, and more corporate disputes;
• Consumer Court Notices (Consumer Protection Act, 2019): Notices in relation to complaints against the company made by consumers.

Land & Property Disputes

• Property Legal Notices Online: Notices related to land acquisition, disputes over title, public notices concerning property development, or notices from housing societies.

How To Check Legal Notices On Court Websites?

Many High Courts and District Courts in India have their websites where they publish notices related to cases being heard in their jurisdiction. To find legal notices related to your case on the eCourts website, you should primarily look for cause lists.

• Access eCourts Services: The eCourts portal offers information on cause lists, case status, orders, and judgments as applied to both High Courts and District Courts.
• Go to Cause Lists: Sections or links specifically called "Cause Lists" should be looked for on the eCourts website. Such minor variations in navigation may differ for High Court or District Court purposes.
• Search in Cause Lists: After the cause lists have been opened, it will probably become necessary to search the cause lists for a certain case. This could involve applying filters like the court name, case number, party name, or date.

Checking Legal Notices On Government Portals

Several government portals provide access to legal notices across different judicial and regulatory bodies:

National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)

The NJDG serves as the national repository of case information for all the district and high courts across India. It enables search for case status, cause lists, and more; provides access to some notices on specific cases.

1. Visit the National Judicial Data Grid website.
2. Pick the relevant state, followed by the specific district court or high court you wish to go to.
3. You can search by a number of different categories, namely, case number if you have it, party name, advocate name, or filing number. Look for "Cause List" or "Case Status" to find notices related to hearings and proceedings.
4. Once you find a relevant case, you can view its status and often access orders and notices related to it.

Supreme Court and High Court Websites

The High Courts and Supreme Court of India have their respective websites for publishing cause lists, daily orders, judgments, and periodically, notices for important cases or any general announcements. You can visit the respective Cause List or Orders/Judgments sections of the designated websites and search/browse for any information of interest.

Consumer Court Portal

The National Consumer Helpline has a Consumer Court portal that allows you to lodge complaints and provide certain information about issues and complaints. While it may not directly show the legal notices for every consumer case, it could be used to check the status of a filed consumer complaint, which may have legal notices drafted.

NCLT Portal

• Go to the NCLT website.
• Check from the homepage or click relevant tabs in order to get a link to any section labeled "Public Notices."
• The notices are normally listed in the order in which they are received, and are accessible by anyone who may wish to gain access to them and search them so as to see if any are relevant to a particular company or case.

Cyber Crime Portal

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal is mainly used to report cybercrime. If you reported a cybercrime and the police are looking into your complaint, then you may learn how to monitor your case on this portal. Alternatively, you may get updates through this portal or be instructed to check the website for the appropriate court.

How Businesses Can Check Legal Notices Online?

Businesses need to be particularly diligent in monitoring online legal notices to ensure compliance and address any potential legal issues promptly.

Step 1: Check if a legal notice is issued against a company on

• MCA Website (Ministry of Corporate Affairs): You can go to mca.gov.in and look for the company by name or by CIN (Corporate Identification Number). This would include checking for any public notices, orders, or filings having any relationship with that company for any legal action taken.
• NCLT Public Notices Section: Check out the NCLT site (nclt.gov.in) from time to time and peruse the Public Notices section for any notices concerning the company, its directors, or any corporate disputes that may involve it.

Step 2: Verify if a vendor or client has filed a complaint in consumer courts

No, although consumer courts do not have a common database for all notices, these should be checked from time to time by concerned businesses on the website of the relevant State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission or the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (ncdrc.nic.in) if they anticipate a major consumer dispute. Some form of information can also be gathered from the National Consumer Helpline portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in) in case any complaint was filed through it.

Step 3: Consult a corporate lawyer for legal notice tracking

Companies need to engage a corporate lawyer to keep an eye on relevant court websites, government gazettes, and other legal databases that would send any notices about the company. Most lawyers have special legal research tools that help make this work easier.

Conclusion

The practice of monitoring legal notices on the web has become almost a compulsion among individuals and businesses to keep abreast of any legal desiderata affecting them. Indeed, online facilities are available for availing oneself, and to some extent, they even offer user-friendly options; nevertheless, it is found that cheaper insights could be drawn from visiting websites of courts and government portals such as NJDG and the NCLT website. Applicable to businesses, it is imperative that proactive monitoring and consultation with legal professionals be drawn into such practices. You may understand how to make your way through such platforms; concerned as such, you can get ahead and use timely action to protect your interests against possible harm.

FAQs

A few FAQs are:

Q1. Is it mandatory for courts to publish legal notices online?

While there is a growing trend towards online publication of legal notices for increased transparency and accessibility, currently, there is not any universal requirement of publishing online all notices by all the courts in India. The practice varies from court to court, depending upon the category of case and specific rules and guidelines therein.

Q2. Can I rely solely on online checks for all legal notices?

No, online checks are not the only thing to be relied on. Traditional modes such as registered post and newspaper publication are still popular. Furnish your correct address for receiving proper notices, especially in respect of a deal, if you are a party to a legal proceeding.

Q3. What should I do if I find a legal notice online that concerns me?

If you come across a legal notification online that impacts you, it is best to seek the advice of an attorney as soon as possible. The lawyer will help explain the notice's meaning and its implications if there are any, assess and analyze the context of the notice, and inform you of the best course of action and proper legal response.

Q4. Are online legal notices legally valid?

Yes, online legal notices published on official court or government websites are generally considered legally valid, provided they comply with the relevant rules and regulations for service of notice. However, it is always best to verify the authenticity of the notice and ensure that you understand the requirements for responding.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. For personalized legal guidance, please consult with a qualified Civil lawyer.