EDITORIAL: DIGITISING COURTS NO LONGER OPTIONAL

The 3rd Continental Judicial Dialogue held in Tanzania last week resolved that ‘Law and Justice must keep pace with the changing times’ – doing so through using technology in Justice delivery.

Known as ,digitizing the system implies using technology to improve access to justice, and strengthening the legal system all-round. To cope with the rapidly-changing developments in this age of high-tech, nation-states have no option beyond streamlining their judicial and administrative processes by adopting new state-of-the-art technologies ininformation, communication and storage.

Noting that efficiency in African courts could be ‘tremendously improved if judicial systems are digitised’ into , experts agree that digitisation of court operations would increase their efficiency by speeding up trials and reducing costs – as well as enhancing the transparency.

Not only would digitisation greatly simplify and fast-track court processes – including the filing of cases and follows-up… It’d also greatly minimize corruption even as judicial processes/proceedings run more smoothly, reducing paperwork and face-to-face transactions – thus resulting in fewer adjournments and undue waste of time and other resources.

To that end, the 3rd Continental Judicial Dialogue in Arusha once again calls upon state judicial organs that haven’t done so to fully integrate their systems into the African Judicial Network. The underlying objective is to ensure efficiency in the application and delivery of justice on the African continent. Technology is today the hub of most developmental operations – and is already here with us. Tanzania mustn’t be left behind in this. Indeed, the country already recognises and admits electronic evidence under certain conditions.

Nonetheless, it has no option but to go the whole hog in adopting, and adapting to, digitization of its Judiciary soonest.

The 3rd Continental Judicial Dialogue held in Tanzania last week resolved that ‘Law and Justice must keep pace with the changing times’ – doing so through using technology in Justice administration and delivery…

Known as ‘in the trade,’ digitizing the system implies using technology to improve access to justice, and strengthening the legal system all-round.

To cope with the rapidly-changing developments in this day and age of high-tech, nation-states have no real option beyond streamlining their judicial and administrative processes by adopting and adapting to new state-of-the-art technologies in the information, communication and storage stakes.

Noting that efficiency in African courts could be ‘tremendously improved if and when judicial systems are digitized’ into , experts agree that digitization of court operations would increase their efficiency by speeding up trials and reducing costs – as well as enhancing the transparency of judicial proceedings. Not only would digitisation greatly simplify and fast-track court processes and adjudication – including the filing of cases and follows-up… It’d also greatly minimise corruption even as judicial processes/proceedings run more smoothly, reducing paperwork and face-to-face transactions at court – thus resulting in fewer adjournments and undue waste of time and other resources.

To that noblest of ends, the 3rd Continental Judicial Dialogue in Arusha took the opportunity to once again call upon state judicial organs that haven’t done so to fully integrate their systems into the African Judicial Network. The underlying objective is to ensure efficiency at all times in the application and delivery of justice on the African continent.

Technology is today the hub of most developmental operations – and is already here with us. Tanzania mustn’t be left behind in this. Indeed, the country already recognizes and admits electronic evidence under certain conditions. Nonetheless, it has no option but to go the whole hog in adopting, and adapting to, digitisation of its Judiciary soonest.