Access to justice is a critical concern in many African justice systems, where efficiency is key to guaranteeing unbiased decisions and maintaining transparency. The Government of Uganda recognized the potential for technology to facilitate access to justice and enhance the efficiency of its justice sector. The Electronic Court Case Management System (eCCMS) was initiated to address the need for systematic, efficient, and organized case management, combating issues such as corruption, delays, and the misuse of power.
The Electronic Court Case Management and Prison Management System have not only improved efficiency but have also contributed significantly to the modernization and transparency of Uganda’s justice system.
Solution
Sybyl Limited, in collaboration with its technology partner, undertook the development and implementation of the Electronic Court Case Management System for the Government of Uganda. The comprehensive system covered various judicial levels, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court, Anti-Corruption Division, High Court Circuit, lower courts, and others across the country in two phases. The eCCMS is a fully-featured system automating and tracking all aspects of a case life cycle from filing to disposition and appeal, for any case type. Additionally, the Prison Management System (PMS) was implemented to automate tasks within the correctional service, contributing to the overall efficiency of the justice system.
Benefits.
The implementation of the Single Unified Electronic Court Case Management System has yielded numerous benefits for the Government of Uganda:
- The system has revolutionized litigation by providing digital services for filing, serving documents, and requesting court orders.
- Enhanced Public Access and Client Convenience, Complete registration and tracking of all court cases allow public access, eliminating the need for clients to physically go to court and follow up daily after filing a case.
- The system acts as a link between advocates and the court, making virtual proceedings a reality, especially in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions.
- Judges and judicial officers’ benefit from easier access to court files, automatic linkage of filed documents, and prompts and updates for upcoming hearings.
- The introduction of e-payments promotes accountability, minimizes fraud and corruption, ensuring a high level of accountability within the judiciary.
- The system facilitates the seamless transmission of judgments and rulings via email, saving time that would have been spent on physical reading of judgments in open court.
- The system intelligently allocates cases based on backlog, case weight calculation, and allocates them to judges accordingly, efficiently reducing case backlog.
- Case management techniques enhance record-keeping, reduce delays, and minimize case backlogs by automating and standardizing manual procedures.
