Why is Justice decades behind the rest of society when it comes to digitization?

I remember way back in 1997 when I first got email. Since then, I have never stopped using it as a primary means of communication and as the best way to transmit documents and images instantly. For many years now it has been a key means of communication and collaboration between judges, which we use to exchange case law, legislation and opinions.

However, if a public agency wants to send us the details of a case, this is excluded. If the registry has to summon a party or communicate a decision, this is excluded.

Let us now bring to mind an image: A beleaguered man goes in and out from bus to bus, carrying a stack of documents, which he has to deliver to various addresses. This man is a bailiff. He looks for lawyers in their offices, litigants in their homes, if he does not find the litigant, he serves the spouse (according to his statement), when he goes to a company, he serves the employee (according to his statement), if he does not find anyone, he does a door jam, i.e. throws the paper under the door. For the latter, he needs to go and bring a witness…

If, instead of using public transport, he uses his motorbike or car to get the job done faster, he pays the costs out of his own pocket. In some courts a fundraiser is held to pay these costs. Once a week he comes to the office, leaves the previous papers and picks up the next ones.

Does the image above remind you of 1960 or 2023?

How is it that Justice has not yet “discovered” the email?

The image above should have disappeared a long time ago and been replaced by the image of a clerk, who from his office in the court distributes documents (summons, judgments, etc.) with the push of a button. As we all do in our daily lives. But not the Justice.

What is the problem; That the above “primitive” procedure for 2023 comes at the expense of the Citizen. It causes delay at all stages of a trial, takes away valuable manpower from the courts and degrades the Citizen’s safe and timely information on the progress of his case.

Let every reasonable person ask themselves if there can be any serious technological difficulty in sending an email…

Unfortunately, Justice today is largely self-referential. Citizen’s rights are not at the top of her values…