The judicial Service Commission (JSC)has introduced an integrated electronic platform to connect all institutions in the justice delivery system, a development that will render all courts paperless and fully automated.
By George Swarei
Addressing media this morning, High Court Judge, Justice Joseph Mafusire who chairs the Implementation Committee, said the web based case management system automates and tracks all aspects of a case life cycle, from initial filing through to the disposition and appeal.
He further explained that the system will integrate the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Commercial Court, High Court, labour court, administrative court, magistrates’ court, Master of High Court and Sheriff of the High Court under the same system.
“The integrated Electronic Case Management System will improve efficiency, expedition and disposition and deliver access to justice as it reduces case backlog, prevent loss and physical damage of documents in case files, enhancing information accessibility and modernize the sector’s operations,” he said.
JSC Secretary, Walter Chikwana said the JSC is implementing 5 projects under the theme -Court Automation and Integration: Breaking Barriers for Persons with Disabilities.
This will see the construction of access ramps at 32 court stations, repairing of elevators at Harare High Court, Harare Magistrate Court and Tredgold Magistrates Court in Bulawayo by March 2022.
Chikwana added that the JSC will also embark on the production of Braille Statutes for the Maintenance Act, Children’s Act, Domestic violence Act and VFC protocol in collaboration with UNFPA.
He revealed that this will see the JSC coming up with Sign Language Manual and training its staff especially Interpreters in Sign Language in collaboration with UNDP.
JSC will also embark on disability Sensitization Training for Magistrates and frontline staff and this will be done with the help of Deaf Trust Zimbabwe.
