“x x x.
CEBU CITY - The Supreme Court will soon implement the
e-Court system, transforming and integrating all lower courts in the country
into an electronic court system.
Sereno said the e-Court system is part of the High
Court's effort to institute judicial and legal reforms to reduce backlogs of
cases.
In her speech during the 15th Integrated Bar of the
Philippines national convention here, Sereno said the e-Court system aims to
improve court processes and reduce litigation cost.
“We want to afford all actors in the judicial system
the comfort and convenience of technology while we also address negative
perception attached to litigation, especially in economic terms, because these
improve processes and definitely reduce litigation cost,” Sereno told some
2,000 participants of the convention held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel
from March 20 to 22.
The e-Court system will help improve capturing,
storing, and accessing documents filed with the lower courts to prevent
duplication of date and repetition in the administrative processes.
The system’s pilot trial was launched at the Quezon
City Regional Trial Court in July 2013 and the high court wants to make it a
model once the new system is implemented in all courts in the country.
Sereno also said the e-Court system would have a
built-in automated case manual system where judges will be allowed to prepare
and issue orders and resolutions immediately after hearings.
This means that within 15 minutes, after an oral order
is delivered by the judge, a lawyer will already have a printed copy of the
order and can take this immediately to the client.
“We are going to give you value for your money. We
also hope that this will lessen the workload because immediately, the minutes
and notes of the hearing will be in the hands of the lawyer and, therefore,
allow judges to have more time for legal research and for the lawyers to
undertake more substantial legal work,” said Sereno.
In the planned e-Court system, judges will also be
given computers equipped with the dashboard containing precise number and
proportion of cases.
It will have an alarm system that would alert them of
their deadlines.
The Supreme Court will also install electronic kiosks
at the entrance of selected courthouses for easy monitoring of case status and
progress.
The SC will also soon adopt electronic raffling of
cases and payments.
Lawyers will also be soon notified of court schedules
via text messaging.
Electronic service of court processes to cut cost and
delays of proceedings will soon be implemented.
“In introducing these convenient systems, we want to
spare you from the needless expenses, time, energy, paper wasted. We don’t want
you to spend time locked in traffic. We want you to decrease the use of paper
and allow you to live in a responsible work-life balance,” said Sereno.
X x x.”
