The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) expects to be fully automated by January next year as it moves ahead with its recently introduced web-based integrated electronic platform to connect all institutions in the justice delivery system, a development that will render all courts paperless and fully automated.
THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC)
The Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) was launched on 1 May and is now operational at the Constitutional, Supreme and Commercial Courts.
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.
Briefing key stakeholders during a luncheon hosted by the JSC in Bulawayo on Friday to get feedback on the new platform, Secretary, Mr Walter Chikwana said the JSC was working on getting the High Court, Labour Court, Administrative Court, Magistrates’ Court, Master of High Court and Sheriff of the High Court online under the same system by January next year.
Mr Chikwana said the JSC has begun the process of gathering data and needs assessments which would be forwarded to the system’s Armenian designers.
“We launched the first phase of the platform on 1 May and we are currently in the process of working towards the second phase which we forecast will be ready for launch in January next year.
High Court of Zimbabwe
We already have the Constitutional, Supreme and Commercial Courts online and we will be adding the High Court, Labour Court, Administrative Court, Magistrates’ Court, Master of High Court and Sheriff of the High Court when we its fully operational,” Mr Chikwana told the legal practitioners who attended the luncheon which was also used to celebrate the JSC’s 12th anniversary.
“Once fully automated and in place, 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 modernise the sector’s operations.
The JSC is reaching out to legal practitioners to accept the new system which is here to stay.”
Speaking at the same event, JSC Deputy ICT manager Ms Shamiso Muserere said so far the platform had proven to be effective although there have been some concerns about the payment options.
Ms Muserere said the system has been able to effectively track cases, ensure online filing of applications as well as provide notifications via SMS, email and within the system itself for registered users.
The system also has an e-calendar that reminds users of impending hearings and responses or assigned law officers.
She said the system also allows users to register their e-signatures and e-stamps.
“We have been running the new platform for over a month now and we are yet to encounter problems.
Ecocash
There have been concerns about the payment options available which are currently Ecocash, Telecash, OneMoney and Steward bank but we are working on increasing these options.”
Ms Muserere said the JSC would look into the possibility of integrating their suggestions into the IECMS.
Meanwhile, Mr Chikwana revealed that there had been an attempt to defraud legal practitioners by cloning the system.
He said because it was web-based, fraudsters had attempted to clone the domain.
“We discovered that fraudsters were attempting to clone our domain so that you pay to them instead of the JSC, but this was detected before it caused any damage,” Mr Chikwana said.
