The Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has promised to build on the established structures of the virtual courts and other electronic processes which give meaning to the e-justice system. According to a story published by graphiconline.com, the Chief Justice said the digitisation agenda for the courts will proceed without interruption, under the Leadership Innovation and Technology (LIT) pillars, with the Judicial Service of Ghana (JSG) working earnestly towards improving the culture of leadership and innovation in the way the judicial system has traditionally worked.
Chief Justice Torkornoo also mentioned another innovation introduced this year, that is, the Small Claims Debt Recovery Courts, which operate in the afternoon and on Saturdays, designed to address the caseloads related to small debts in the district courts. She said the digitization of court records made it easier to electronically store and retrieve them.
The Chief Justice adviced all stakeholders in the justice delivery sector to remain dedicated to ensuring democracy functions effectively in the country by demonstrating discipline, competence and effectiveness in their work, within and around the courts.
The Chronicle agrees with the Chief Justice’s initiatives to improve upon the existing e-justice system because the world is evolving and everything is gradually moving digital. The e-justice system would be able to connect all the courts seamlessly and enable case information exchange. This means the Chief Justice at the touch of a button can have a bird’s eye view on what is going on across all courts in the country, providing her a powerful tool for management of judicial services.
The advantages of e-justice projects include significant financial and time saving cost efficiency which means reduction of the cost of justice, easier access to information, enhanced data security, high quality legal data sets, minimisation of the chances of corruption, speeding up proceedings and creating the capacity to handle more cases with fewer staff, which would lead to enhancement of better revenues.
In an age where technology is reshaping every facet of our lives, the judicial system must not lag behind. The LIT pillars outlined by Chief Justice Torkornoo represent a forward-thinking approach to enhancing the way justice is delivered. An e-justice system also has the potential for the provision of a measurement tool to gauge results and productivity, real-time monitoring of proceedings, final judgements and gaining insights from statistics, which can be used for forward-looking planning.
The ability to electronically store and retrieve documents enhances the overall efficiency of the judiciary, allowing legal practitioners and citizens alike to navigate the system with greater ease. This shift towards digital record-keeping is not merely a convenience; it is a critical move towards ensuring accountability and transparency within the judicial process. This is a commendable step in promoting a more user-friendly legal environment.
Also, the introduction of Small Claims Debt Recovery Courts demonstrates that the justice system is aware of the challenges faced by individuals dealing with minor disputes. These courts provide services during afternoons and weekends, which does not only alleviate pressure on the courts but also bring justice closer to the people.
When effectively deployed within the right environment, the e-justice can improve the effectiveness of and access to justice, while strengthening the rule of law. It requires the buy-in by the judiciary’s leadership and commitment on the part of judges to make use of the system.
The Chronicle hopes the roll out of the digitization of the courts must not be done to exclude persons who may not have the sophistication to access justice in a high tech driven environment. We hope that a parallel manual court system will be maintained to take care of such persons.
