in-cyprus 11 December 2023
From December 18, the Cyprus justice system will be digitised with the launch of e-justice, marking the full electronic registration of legal documents.
This long-discussed project is expected to streamline the work of judges and lawyers while paving the way for the next stage: recording court proceedings within the courtroom.
According to Andreas G. Tserkezou, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the ultimate goal of the e-justice information system is the digitization of all courts and jurisdictions, including the new Courts and new levels of jurisdiction established following the legal reforms.
Mr. Tserkezou further notes that e-justice incorporates provisions related to the new Rules of Civil Procedure, which came into effect on September 1, 2023.
Another significant aim of the e-justice system, as emphasized by the Registrar, is the digitization of penalty orders, as well as its integration with various government departments and services.
This integration aims to facilitate timely, accurate, and automated data exchange.
The collaborative effort involves multi-disciplinary teams from the Judicial Service, the Department of Information Technology Services, the Cyprus Bar Association, and other stakeholders.
The e-justice system seeks to enhance the efficiency of Registries and Courts without introducing fundamental changes, essentially digitizing existing manual processes.
Upon implementation, it will expand the capabilities provided by the current i-justice system used by the Courts, introducing additional functionalities for case management, statistical reporting, and more.
Mr. Tserkezou emphasizes that the e-justice information system will continue to evolve and improve to better meet the needs of both internal and external users.
To ensure the readiness of Courts and lawyers for the transition from i-justice to e-justice, the Judicial Service is planning and implementing actions in collaboration with the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy and the Cyprus Bar Association.
These actions include online seminars, in-person training sessions, and the dissemination of informational materials.
Regarding the shit from the i-justice system to e-justice, a project is underway to transfer existing cases from i-justice to the e-justice system. The goal of this project is for e-justice to commence on December 18, 2023, containing all the cases and data existing within the i-justice system.
The implementation of the e-justice system will occur in three phases.
In the first phase, the previously described Courts will be included. In the second phase, expected in the second quarter of 2024, Courts exercising criminal jurisdiction and the Administrative Court of International Protection will be incorporated. The third and final phase will include the two Supreme Courts, with the timeline for this phase yet to be determined.
