With governments across the sub-regional states earnestly seeking out measures to curb the incessant flow of criminal activities within their borders, priority is also directed at an inclusive digital upgrading of the judiciary and its supplementary departments.
As law officials from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) move to upgrade its digital technology operations, much emphasis is also being placed on the modernization and management of the magistrate’s court.
According to the OECS law lords, the magistracy is regarded as a vital component in the overall dispensation of justice to citizens in an efficient and timely manner.
At a recent media briefing , Court Administrator Gregory Girard spoke about some of the reforms within the judiciary that will include a re-structuring and strengthening of the Family Division, “which integrates the family component of the High Court with the Family component of the magistrates’ court.”
Additionally, he said, there are also plans to upgrade the proceedings for criminal matters down the line. The prosecution of cases and the filing of cases by police officers is due to be revamped and acclimatized to the digital module that the OECS courts are currently undertaking.
“We are starting with the family module…but things will change course with the matters dealing prosecution and the prosecutors, which is under implementation and it is the next major aspect we will undertake,” said Girard.
He disclosed that the OECS law lords are in the process of adding a “criminal module” to the portals of the criminal courts incorporated into the magistrate’s court.
Another system under review involves the matter of recording court proceedings, explained Mark Ernest – IT Manager.
“We have a different system that looks at recording of court proceedings and that has been introduced in the magistracy, as well as, in the high court …with the use of digital court recording systems,” he said. “So that relieves the magistrate of note taking …and everything that is said in the court room is recorded and there are mike stands to record through channel.”
Ernest added, “That’s done digitally, and not only when it’s recorded, but the magistrate has a right to get a copy of that recording and also to listen and to make a judgment or two with their notes.”
He continued, “There is the ability for those recordings to go out of the court room … every 10 minutes and it transcribes, so that facility is already in place through the use of technology.”
Also, added Girard, “What we are looking at to enhance that project, is where audio recordings can automatically be moved from digital audio to text…it’s not there yet, but we are looking at the technology that is available and we will try to identify one, which will another dimension to the justice system, whereby transcripts can now be delivered in a timely manner.”
Furthermore, Ernest explained, the procedure will eliminate the use of postage stamps in making payments to the court, since “the system will automatically stamp the documents when they are filed.”
The IT manger assured that the “security system” for the digital process is safe and secure with a reputed global company managing this mechanism.
“Our data base is being boosted by Amazon Web Services and they provide a high level of data protection and also compliance to standards, such as the ISO 2001 standard,” he said.
In addition, noted Ernest, “the company that developed the system, Scripts & Lodges is ISO certified…and there some level of security and inscription associated with the site itself.”
In terms of technology, he added, “The system uses a certain protocol …which allows a client using the browser and a server to be secured and private. So these are the kinds of technology that is involved in using the portal now.”