Uganda’s Justice System Gets Digital Boost to Enhance Efficiency and Transparency
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The Ugandan justice system is undergoing a significant transformation with the introduction of digital technologies aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the administration of justice.
Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS)
In 2021, ECCMIS was rolled out to revolutionize case management by providing a secure, transparent, and accountable platform for court staff and litigants to access all civil and criminal cases. With ECCMIS, litigants can now file cases online and make payments electronically through integration with the Government of Uganda payment gateway.
- Reduces delays and case backlogs by automating and standardizing manual procedures
- Makes it technically and practically difficult for corrupt tendencies to thrive
- Improves overall efficiency, cost savings, and enables court management to make informed decisions about procedures and better allocate resources
Video Conferencing Technology Boosts Access to Justice
The introduction of video conferencing technology in Uganda’s courts has also partly solved the problem of case backlog by minimizing procedural delays, increasing cost efficiency for court users, and mitigating challenges posed by geographical inaccessibility to courts. This technology has also strengthened systemic transparency and accountability.
- Witnesses can appear in court online via an audio-visual facility with their faces in full view
- Facilitates identification and examination by legal counsel and the presiding judicial officer
- Improves access to justice for women and children who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), allowing them to testify remotely and avoid secondary victimization
Prisoner Management System Digitalized
The Prisoner Management Information System (PMIS) deployed in the Uganda Prisons Service provides digital monitoring of prisoners by prison officials and captures, processes, analyzes, and disseminates data on all prisoner management operations. PMIS is currently undergoing pilot implementation in two of the biggest prison facilities in Uganda.
- Integration with ECCMIS will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of justice processes
- Facilitate the sharing of criminal history and criminal profile data to enrich crime intelligence/criminal investigation process
- Reduce recidivism rates
Cross-Cutting Digital Interventions
Beyond core justice processes, several cross-cutting digital interventions are facilitating the efficient and effective administration of justice in Uganda. These include:
e-Immigration System
- Provides digital-driven border management services and facilitates criminal investigations and prosecution of cases involving cross-border crimes.
National Security Information System (NSIS)
- Operated by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), NSIS provides a biometric National Identification Register for verifying citizenship and detecting illegal registration.
Remand Home Management Information System, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Management Information System, Uganda Child Helpline platform, and the National Gender-based Violence Database
- All of which need to be integrated with ECCMIS to enhance management of data and information involving juveniles at remand homes.
These digital interventions are expected to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of Uganda’s justice system, ultimately enhancing access to justice for citizens.