Virtual court to be commissioned today

THE virtual court sessions for routine repeat remand hearings will be commissioned today, as the judiciary moves to speed up the technological transition.

The move is also meant to have uninterrupted court operations in the face of Covid-19.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, is today expected to commission the virtual court at Rotten Row Magistrates’ Courts.

Judicial Service Commission-Secretary, Mr Walter Chikwana, confirmed the development.

When someone is arrested and first brought to court they are normally remanded for trial at a later date, either in custody or out of custody on bail or free bail.

However, in many cases, there are further remands, each for a specific period, that require the accused person and their lawyers to appear in court just for a few minutes if the further remand is routine.

Under the virtual court system, these further remands can be done from the office of the accused’s lawyer, if they are out on bail, or from the remand prison.

In time, once police stations have been connected up, it may be possible to have the initial remand hearing from the station of arrest.

In any case where in the interests of justice the remand hearing has to be done in a court room, this can be facilitated.

This virtual court is a second example of the use of technology changes planned for this year to make the court administration easier and better.

The other one planned is the integrated electronic case management system that will see all documentation in civil cases loaded into a database.

The theme for 2022 legal year as announced by Chief Justice Luke Malaba is “Use of technology to enhance efficiency and the rule of law in the judiciary”.

Opening the 2022 legal year last month, Chief Justice Malaba said that the designing of the integrated electronic case management system was complete with the launch of the data centre scheduled for May 1 this year.

He said the first phase of the system would be at the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and the Commercial Court.

“The designing of the system for the three courts is now complete,” said Chief Justice Malaba.

“The process of testing the system by the registrars working with the Judicial Service Commission’s

team and officials from Synergy International Systems has started.”