The Kenya Judiciary has today officially launched an electronic case filing system. The platform will provide both law firms, lawyers and even non-lawyers a chance “to initiate and complete the process of filing cases online from their offices /remotely.”
To the end-user, you will be able to do nearly everything online from case registration, searching for cases, and even pay for court fees via mobile money or credit cards.
The system’s major building blocks include; E-Case Registration, E-payment, E-Case Search, E- Calendar and E-Service.
The e-filing system is intended to help improve operational efficiency in courts by doing away with the physical presence and journey’s that would have previously been required in order to file a case.
The digital migration is also expected to trim certain problems experienced by the judicial system such as ever-growing demand for physical space to store physical documents/files, resolve non-filing and misfiling of documents and eliminate under-assessment & over-assessment of Court fees.
Besides, it will also help reduce chances of corruption, and enhance transparency and accountability said DPP Noordin Haji.
Since the introduction of an electronic payment system in the 2013/14 FY, the judiciary has seen an increase in revenue from “about 500 million in the previous year to over 2.1 billion,” said Chief Registrar Anne Amadi, during the launch.
Currently, the Judiciary says the system will be used in select courts. Courts with access to the system now include the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, All High Court Divisions in Nairobi, Environment and Land Court (ELC) Nairobi, Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court, Nairobi Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC).
In addition to that, other Nairobi-based courts that will use the e-filing system include the Milimani Chief Magistrate Court Commercial and Children Court Milimani Nairobi, Makadara, JKIA and Kibera Law Courts as well as Deputy Kadhis Courts & City Court.
Sooner, the services are also set to be rolled out in other places as well starting with Mombasa and Kisumu.
At the launch, the judiciary also announced its also implementing a digital court recording and transcription system in 32 courtrooms countrywide.
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