The country’s judicial system has made progress in uploading a number of cases into the electronic case management system for easy administration and monitoring, e-justice system project coordinator Justice Dustain Mwaungulu has said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Blantyre, Mwaungulu said he is optimistic that by the time they launch the system in August this year, files from all courts will have been uploaded in the system and all court clerks trained on how to use the system.
He said the system which will be linked to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is crucial in ensuring speedy trial because judges will be able to handle cases electronically even while outside of the country.
“This is the system which will see judges and magistrates preside over cases electronically even while out of the country, grant injunctions or sign for court documents electronically,” said Mwaungulu.
Mwaungulu said the system will also reduce case delays due to loss of files, reduce backlog in the court system, improve case registration, improve case tracking and ease information sharing between the judiciary and the DPP.
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court Joseph Chigona hailed the system calling it a landmark development in the judicial system.
Chigona also thanked an American multinational technology company Microsoft for recognising the system which will be using Microsoft SharePoint collaboration system.
The multi-billion project is being financially supported by the European Union.
About 272 laptop computers have already been bought for the exercise.
Bulgaria’s top information technology software house, Paraflow Communications built the system which is one of the major programmes in the judiciary strategic plan designed in 1994.
