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Technology in Courts
Technology in Courts
Technology is used in Victorian courts and tribunals to improve service, efficiency and coordination between jurisdictions, both in court rooms and in court administration. It also improves court accessibility, especially for those in regional Victoria, from multicultural backgrounds or with a disability.
Technology used in Victorian courts and tribunals includes:
- videoconferencing to allow some court services to be delivered remotely, either for parties and witnesses who live some distance from the venue, or for vulnerable witnesses such as sexual assault victims and children
- plasma screens and other visual devices to display electronic evidence, reducing the reliance on verbal presentation
- hearing loops for the hearing impaired
- digital recording of court proceedings for transcription purposes and also for public purchase in the Magistrates' Court
- electronic case management systems, which are replacing paper files
- the ability for case details and decisions to be filed and searched electronically
- the lodging of some types of court documents over the internet and the use of online document sharing
- making information about court services available online and via an iphone.
Current initiatives
The Integrated Courts Management System is a major initiative to modernise and upgrade the technology of all Victorian courts and tribunals, covering both the criminal and civil jurisdictions. It will implement a single, integrated technology platform and set of computer applications for all Victorian Courts and Tribunals.
The Transcript Digitisation project seeks to modernise all court recording systems allowing for digital audio visual recording of court proceedings and to migrate all courts and tribunals onto a single digital recording platform.
Many of the courts and tribunals are redeveloping their websites to incorporate modern Web 2.0 features to make it easier for court users to find and understand court information. Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal; and the Courts Portal have been redeveloped. Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and County Court will release new websites this year.
Two pilot projects are testing the use of secure online sharing of case documents to improve on the traditional exchange of paper documents. The Case Portal pilots are in the VCAT general list and in the Supreme Court Technology, Engineering and Construction list. They provide a website per case and allow parties to these cases to collaborate and manage the case online.