The Hon. Chief Justice at the ECMIS stakeholders validation workshop at the Judicial Training Institute
The Hon. the Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Bart M. Katureebe, on December 14, 2017 presided over a Stakeholder Validation Workshop for the Electronic Case Management Information System (ECMIS) - a digital-based system being designed in line with the ongoing automation of the Ugandan Courts.
ECMIS is currently being engineered by Judiciary's Information Technology team with technical support from the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U)to replace the 10-year-old Court Case Administration System (CCAS).
The computer-based system will, among other things, introduce electronic filing of cases, ability to track all aspects of a case lifecycle, support of automatic assessment of court fees, supporting e-payments and would require minimal human intervention.
Implementation of the project will bring with it increased recording of court proceedings,computerization of the Courts as well as training more Court staff in the utilization of ICT-based Courts.
The Chief Justice, while opening the Court/ICT stakeholder workshop said the innovation is long overdue in the Court but appreciated both the government and the Strengthening Uganda's Anti -Corruption and Accountability Regime(SUGAR) Project for bankrolling the exercise.
"The beginning might be difficult because we need reliable power and internet to run these systems countrywide. But it's good for us to get started and it is our hope that the government and development partners will continue giving us there sources to expand the system." Hon. Justice Katureebe said
The stakeholders heard that the system would soon be piloted in 13 different courts in the country.
Court of Appeal's Hon. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, who also chairs Judiciary's Technology Committee, said, once implemented, the system will help reduce incidents of corruption in the Courts as human interaction between Court staff and litigants/Court users will drastically drop.
The engagement was attended, among others, by the heads of the High Court Divisions and Circuits, senior private lawyers, the Justice, Law & Order Sector(JLOS) Secretariat Officials and Representatives of the SUGAR Project and NITA-U.
Posted 15th, December 2017
