The Judiciary is in the final stages of introducing a digital platform that will allow plaintiffs file court cases online from wherever they are as part of measures to speed up the administration of justice in the country.
The new development was disclosed by the Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe, while meeting the legislators on Parliamentary Budget Committee at the High Court. He said the process would begin in January next year.
“We have the issues of petty corruption. You go to a court, you meet a clerk and will say ok, give me some money and I file your case and sometimes he will even tell you more than what is needed to file the case, then you come to follow your case he will tell either your file is missing or I need so much for the magistrates, the magistrate is asking for so much and yet many times these magistrates even don’t know that they have asked for money, this is corruption. In some cases, your case is progressing and they say you see your case has been pushed to next year so come next year but if you can do something I can convince them to bring it forward,” he said.
Justice Katureebe said: As the Judiciary, were are rolling out an automated system that will allow complainants to file cases without visiting the court premises.”
He said the system would be easy that each person can follow the status of his or her files from home, so long as the person has access to computer and internet.
He said any one who will file the case in the automated system will be given a log in number. “You can log in and check the status of your file and the supervisors can log in and see which case was filed and what its progress is,” he said, adding that the procurement of the systems is ongoing.
“Government started off by giving us Shs6 billion, the procurement is at an advanced stage and we are progressing. We think in the New Year this system will start,” he said.
But they will begin with the Supreme Court, the Appellate Courts, the High Courts and the Magistrates’ Courts of Nakawa, Mengo, and others in Kampala before it can be rolled to regional courts.