The Judiciary has launched a nationwide e-filing system, Data System Dashboard and Causelist Portal to support the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in its research to access justice, improve the service delivery and enhance the transition of paper work to online access.
Speaking at the event, Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome said that the initiative has been a journey that began 20 years ago where she acknowledged serious collaboration and hard work among partners.
“It is a momentous occasion that marks a giant reap in commitment to transform how to deliver through strategic use of technology in alignment with the vision of the Judiciary of Social Transformation Through Access To Justice on blueprint,” expressed Koome.
She highlighted that the Judicial Vision is to enhance productivity, automate processes, digitalize services and establish a paperless environment, making justice more accessible and reducing the geographical barriers to accessing Justice.
Koome reiterated that there should be no impediment when the people have to seek a remedy since justice cuts across everyone.
The CJ added that the system will help the judiciary to be more efficient and more accessible as it will simplify cases, filing of cases and tracking the records.
She revealed that the Judiciary will stop the printing of papers from July 1st , 2024 and instead the documents and resources will be replaced by ink, desktops and Laptops
Further, Koome urged the Judiciary to embrace the initiative which presents an opportunity to bring greater service delivery.
“Data Tracking Dashboard is a platform that monitors case processing through courts and tribunals through e-filing which will also detect and analyze case adjournment from different courts thus it is a critical tool for evidence tracking,” Koome explained.
The CJ requested the Directorate of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy to begin the implementation and harness technology since the judiciary considers everybody equal despite their geographical differences saying they all deserve quality service.
She also urged all stakeholders to continue working together and leverage the tools in the Judiciary in this transformative project.
Also speaking during the launch, Deputy CJ Justice Philomena Mwilu said that, while the Judiciary remains crucial in regards to capacity of court users, it must also harness the use of ICT since it deals with those dynamic challenges in access to justice.
She observed that the Judiciary will improve human resource, integrity, and change management in the deployment of digital use, maintaining that the system will ensure technology does not limit the support to Litigants.
At the same time, the Cabinet Secretary (CS), for Public Service Performance and Delivery Management, Moses Kuria insisted that online filing can have exactly the same access to service delivery.
He noted that access to justice has been a premium product and very few citizens had low access to layers but technology has made each one equal.
The CS said that the collaboration of Judiciary and Huduma Kenya will make work easier since Huduma Kenya will help people to access judiciary services.
Kuria added that his Ministry will roll out huduma centers across the country which will have an enclosed room for Judiciary so that everyone can feel free to file a case in privacy and access the service.
He said that his Ministry will need to support the Judiciary by providing allocation and resources to help it run its services to all.
Concurrently, CS for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo observed that aiding the case tracking system, a virtual processing, is one of the solutions since the internal process needs a note taking to be able to serve the customers.
Owalo noted that the Judiciary is in the forefront to ensure that they have a single source of truth by sharing information and not to duplicate the data.
He cited the exemplary achievement made by the Judiciary is expanding its reach of judicial services by operationalizing the judicial desks.
In a speech read by Mary Kirima, the CS disclosed that his Ministry has ambitious programs to support the digital transformation by digitizing government services and products.
“The Ministry of information, communication and Digital Economy has automated 15,000 services online through the E-citizen platform and is also planning to digitize over 5 million manual records in all thegovernments,” stated Owalo.
He further acknowledged the ICT staff who developed the system for the Judiciary , further noting that the goal is to ensure that government officers are able to communicate digitally and by getting rid of papers.
The CS also said that the Ministry has marked on the laying of the 100,000 kilometres of fibre that will help the Judiciary in matters of connectivity, noting that this initiative has enabled the Ministry to connect 14,000 schools, 74,000 institutions and Government offices including Judicial Offices.
He also acknowledged the leadership of the Judiciary which has demonstrated great value fortechnology saying that he will ensure through his ministry, that the system the Judiciary has developed will be utilized as the judicial officers serves the customers at their comfort zone.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Judge and Chairperson of the Integrated Case Management Systems (ICMS) Committee Justice Isaac Leonala said that all state organs are obligated to access judicial service and access to justice.
He said that the system will generate its own stamp where litigants will download their files and print them.
Leonala also called upon the partners, stakeholder ministries and LSK to work together to ensure success of the new technological processes.
By Sharon Atieno
