Brian Rungano Temba
The Judicial Services Commission is putting together final pieces necessary to ensure that they meet the slated date for the full digitalization of courts.
This week they started training Judges from various courts on the softwares they will be using when case management becomes fully electronic from January 2022.
Sharing the training schedule, JSC Secretary Walter Chikwanha equated the impending changes in the judiciary to a revolution.
“We have agreed that the training of judges be staggered, where batches of judges will choose which time they want to be trained.
Training will be done every first week of the month from July 2021 to October 2021,” Mr Chikwanha said.
Every first week of until October there will be training of JSC judges and magistrates from Civil courts, Magistrate Courts, High Courts, Supreme Courts and Constitutional Court.
The training is designed to equip judicial officers to be competent for using the Intergrated Electronic Case Management Sysyem (IECMS) as Zimbabwe moves towards digitalization of courts.
Judges were taught all basic applications utilized in cleric processes.
High Court Judge Justice Martin Mafusire said they expect that the new system will cut attendance costs and reduce the time within which cases are tried in courts.
“Commercial disputes will be settled easier and faster therefore inviting a favourable attention in Investment circles,” said Justice Mafusire.
“IECMS will bring about virtual hearings to counter the risk of contracting COVID-19 during a live hearing,” he added.
Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Martin Makonese said for courts to be efficient, ICTs have to be fully utilised.
“In these Morden times we would be fooling ourselves if we try to continue working without grasping how to operate a computer competently.
We thank the trainers for their patience and diligence. Everyone in the judiciary deserves to get this training,” said Justice Makonese.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Dr Beulah Chirume explained how the system works.
“The judges have been taught how to log in to their emails, conduct video conferencing avoid hacking and they have become more independent than they commenced the training.
These days there is digital evidence and such competencies comes in handy for their day to day execution in their line of work,” said Dr Chirume.
Zimbabwe has been making efforts to mordernise its judiciary both infrastructural and systematic adjustments to ensure that it aligns with the needs of an upper-middle income economy.
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