Case backlogs to go as Labour, Administrative cour...

Case backlogs to go as Labour, Administrative courts go digital

The Labour Court is expected to go digital on February 1

Zim Now Writer

The Labour and Administrative Court is set to go digital on February 1 as the digitization of the country’s court continues.

The Judicial Service Commission introduced the Integrated Electronic Case Management System last year in a programme that digitised the Constitutional, Supreme and the Commercial courts, with the Commercial Court being the first in the country to go digital on its commission in May of 2022.

The Constitutional Court and Supreme Court were transformed into digital courts in the first phase of the IECMS, with JSC head of corporate services, Daniel Nemukuyu saying the implementation of the second phase of IECMS starts on February 1 this year, targeting the Labour Court and the Administrative Court.

“On February 1, we are going live at the Labour Court and Administrative Court. We are entering the second phase of IECMS which covers the Labour Court and the Administrative Court,” he said.

“We call upon all current and potential court users to register with the system. For one to create an IECMS account, they should visit our website, zimiecms.org.zw and an online form, requiring you to fill in some information, will appear on the screen,” Nemukuyu said, adding that the JSC is running training sessions for court staff and other court users on how to use the new system ahead of the official implementation of the second phase.

Under the system, parties to a court case can follow cases from their phones, tablets, laptops or computers as long as they have an internet connection and have registered on the system.

Besides minimising corruption, the system will also bring about efficiency, expedite case disposition and deliver access to justice. It also is set to reduce case backlog and prevent the loss and physical damage of documents in a case file while also enhancing information accessibility and modernisation of the justice sector’s operations.