Major changes for the CCJ

By Gerard Best
CJ Contributor

A suite of new high-tech court management systems are to be adopted by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The CCJ will be one of the first adopters of a set of technology-enabled systems for electronic filing of court documents, case management and court performance measurement, the court announced.

The region-wide initiative aims to ensure that courts across the Caribbean have access to the software and training needed to strengthen their operations and improve service delivery, the release said.

A pair of pilot projects are scheduled to take place soon in Belize and Grenada, the release said.

It announced the establishment of a not-for-profit corporation called Advance Performance Exponents Inc. (APEX), which will coordinate the new technology-driven solutions and services for Caribbean courts.

“With APEX, courts can take greater advantage of modern, web-based and mobile technologies to improve the quality of their services to the public, and increase the efficiency of judicial officers,” said Sir Dennis Byron, President of the CCJ.

Bevil Wooding, a key architect of the APEX strategy, described the launch as “a significant milestone for courts across the Caribbean.”

“The systems being used by APEX are built on technology licensed from US-based court technology services provider Courtechs Inc.,” Wooding said. “The software is tailored to the specific requirements of Caribbean courts and meet and exceed international best practice for digitally enhanced courts.”

APEX is currently building a regional network of service providers to ensure that local support is available for national courts that adopt the systems. It will also engage Chief Justices, court registrars, technology administrators and bar associations from across the region in the ongoing design and implementation of its systems and services.

“With APEX, Caribbean courts and justice stakeholders can now have an ongoing stake and say in the evolution of the new models and systems for court administration and court performance improvement,” said Sir Trevor Carmichael, chairman of the board of directors of the new agency, said in the release.