Chief Justice Martha Koome announced a major initiative that will make filing court documents electronically (e-filing) possible in all courts across the country. This initiative is designed to make the justice system more accessible and efficient. Starting July 1, 2024, courts will no longer be allowed to print legal documents.
The new system also includes a Causelist Portal, which will allow lawyers and anyone involved in a court case to easily see which cases are being heard each day.
Chief Justice Koome highlighted that these changes are part of the Judiciary’s commitment to using technology to improve how justice is delivered in Kenya.
“Our goal is to enhance productivity, automate processes, digitise services, and establish a paperless environment, thereby making justice more accessible and reducing geographical barriers,” said the chief justice.
“We will have access to real-time statistics for any court or tribunal without the need for physical inspection, thereby propelling the Judiciary towards a new standard of accountability,’’ she added.
In addition, a Data Tracking Dashboard was launched to help court leaders monitor how long cases take to move through the system. Notably, the Data Tracking Dashboard goes beyond just monitoring case progress. It can also analyze why cases are delayed and compare those reasons across different courts.
This allows the judiciary leadership to quickly identify and address any bottlenecks in the system, improving overall efficiency.
E-Filing an Equalizer
Further, the dashboard also provides valuable insights for strategic planning. By highlighting trends like high caseloads of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in specific regions, it can help the Judiciary decide where to strategically establish specialized SGBV courts.
This effort to offer better support to victims. This makes the dashboard a powerful tool for data-driven decision-making. Last year, for the first time in the country, the Kenyan judiciary launched a Digital Sex Offenders Registry.
Cabinet Secretary of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, Moses Kuria, termed the launch of the digital innovations as the “democratization of access to justice.’’
He added “Technology is the great equalizer and everyone in an urban or rural setting can now enjoy the same rights and privileges in accessing justice.’’
To further ease access to justice, the rollout of judicial services to all Huduma Centres nationwide began in January.
