Tinaani Nyabereka
Gweru- Preparations for the rolling out of the newly introduced Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) phase two in the judicial system in Gweru are now at an advanced stage according to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Addressing legal practitioners and members of the press on the development at the official launch, JSC Secretary Walter Chikwanha said digitalization of the courts was the first of its kind in Zimbabwe and the launch of phase 3 was going to have an effect on virtual systems.
“We are moving into phase 2 and we have targeted the Labour Court and then we will move into phase 3 targeting the general division of the High Court and the office of the Sheriff.
“So we are advising legal practitioners that with effect from February 1, 2023, they will not be able to litigate in those three courts manually as they are required to familiarize themselves with the IECEMS system.
“The digitization of the courts is a new thing that we are introducing in Zimbabwe. It is the enhancement of access to justice and it will ensure that people are able to access a court from wherever they are,” said Chikwanha.
He further highlighted that the system was going to assist in curbing any anomalies.
“With IECMS, you can never miss a document or a file because they are in soft copy. If you make attempts to delete something, we have back -up systems of the file that are readily available. We have been told of bogus lawyers, now a bogus lawyer cannot file or litigate if they are not in the system,” he added.
The system, which allows people to access courts virtually is set to promote convenience and real time access to justice from any party of the country as well as addressing challenges associated with manual operation of the justice system.
Plans in pipeline are for, IECMS to integrate with other key stakeholder organizations such as Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ), Attorney General’s Office (AG), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Legal Aid Directorate (LAD) and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Court (ZACC).
Also speaking at the launch at the labour court in Gweru, legal practitioner Esau Mandipa of Mutatu and Mandipa Legal Practitioners welcomed the development saying it is cost and time effective allowing for a wider reach.
“The introduction of the virtual courts is a good development especially for the courts.
“It is cost effective and not time consuming. One no longer needs to travel from place to place to have their hearings,” he said.
