Chief Justice Martha Koome has issued new plans to enhance the flow of court cases in Kenya amidst public scrutiny.
Speaking at a judges’ meeting on February 19 in Naivasha, CJ Koome stated that the Judicial system was now ready for a nationwide rollout of an enhanced e-filing system, following establishments in select zones last year.
“This year will see a significant leap in leveraging technology as an enabler for the efficiency of our operations.
"Our e-filing initiative has progressed significantly and we are now set for a nationwide rollout across all court stations on March 11th, 2024," CJ Koome commented.
With this, any Kenyan will file for a court case from the comfort of their homes once they open an e-filing account, without having to visit the nearest court station.
CJ Koome also announced the establishment of a pilot transcription centre, to prompt the accurate transcription of court proceedings by the use of technology.
In addition, the Judiciary will also introduce a 'Tracking Dashboard', an innovative tool that will allow the judiciary to monitor activities, thus enhancing their operations' efficiency and transparency.
"This innovative tool will enable the Judiciary’s leadership and court leaders to monitor court activities and outputs in real-time, providing immediate insights and trend analysis into the performance of our courts and facilitating informed decision-making,” CJ Koome said.
Furthermore, the Judiciary will introduce new features such as the publication of rulings and judgments.
It will also have an Automated Daily Court Reporting, which would address the discrepancies previously experienced in the Case Tracking System (CTS).
“These enhancements are pivotal in ensuring the reliability of our data, which is indispensable for informed policy-making and tracking the progress of our institutional development efforts," CJ Koome stated.
CJ Koome also noted in her speech that the Judiciary having a dialogue with other branches of government to resolve challenges in the administration of justice does not undermine its independence.
