The electronic court system (E-court) was launched last week in Rwanda in correctional facilities and is expected to ease access to justice.

Its inauguration took place at Nyarugenge Correctional facility commonly known as Mageragere.

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Below are five things you should know as Rwanda starts the use of the E-courts system.

Reduction of case backlog

Case backlogs have been hindering the delivery of justice and there have been various initiatives to curb it such as mediation, and plea bargaining among others.

With the recently launched E-court, there is hope that the issue of backlogs will be addressed.

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Statistics in 2021/2022 from the judiciary indicate that the backlog stands at 59 per cent representing 47,091. Cases exceeding six months are considered as backlog.

Increase transparency

Looking at the broader picture of the use of E-courts globally, especially in developing countries, it has been proven that the system increases transparency as well as reducing corruption through the reduction in physical contact with officials of the justice sector.

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Time-saving

Through available adequate equipment, including video conferencing equipment, the new system is expected to reduce the time it takes for cases to be processed and reduce the number of adjournments in court hearings among others.

Cost saving

In countries where the e-court system has been used, it has played a big role in saving costs by reducing the number of physical appearances in court.

Moreover, E-Courts are one way of providing online services such as e-filing of cases, online case status tracking, online payment of court fees, and online delivery of judgments which will contribute to the reduction of transport to get such services.

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Data and Inmates security

E-court deals with the computerisation of courts, digitization of case records, and providing online services to litigants, lawyers, and other court users; this will help in the safety and storage of case information.

E- courts are mostly used in developed countries such as Japan, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India.