Our entire society is becoming increasingly digital. However, courts have traditionally been among the most conservative institutions, with paper files still being used extensively. Criminal judges, for example, often have to go through files that consist of thousands of pages. Astrid Asi, the chairman of Harju County Court and a criminal judge, points out, "Today, it can be difficult to imagine how to work through thousands of pages of material without a Ctrl+F search."
Digital court proceedings are not just a matter of convenience – they are a significant saving of money and time resources. Judge Asi provides an example, saying, "In the case of a paper file, it is still the current procedure that all pages of the file must be numbered. When the prosecutor's office prepares a file, the clerk has to number those thousands of pages manually." She also highlights the disadvantage of paper files, stating, "Only one person can work with it at a time. For example, if the secretary is preparing something for the session, I cannot access it simultaneously and have to wait for my turn."
The first digital leaps in the courts
Today, civil and administrative court proceedings are completely paperless, and the country's courtrooms are modernized. Asi explains, "In the case of digital files, it must also be possible to display evidence on the wall in the courtroom. Ensuring this capability in every Estonian courtroom has taken years."
Video calls have been used in the courtroom for a long time. "They started with hearings concerning persons in prison. It is not reasonable to transport them every time for interrogation, and it always entails certain risks," explains the judge. "Although video calls have been used for some time for people who are abroad, the final impetus for the introduction of this software was given by the COVID-19 pandemic - then it was necessary to immediately find a solution to conduct remote sessions."
"Today, the Estonian IT Centre has equipped all courts with screens, and video call capabilities have also been added," says Raivo Tammus, head of Estonian courts' IT. "Before the innovations, there were even now seemingly absurd situations where it was necessary to make video calls, and we did it, for example, with our personal Skype accounts. It was certainly neither smooth nor safe," Asi gave an example.
The head of IT of the courts explains that in order to meet today's requirements and needs, the technical interior of all the courts have been reviewed. A special standard has been developed for the development of courtrooms, which describes the minimum technical and acoustic requirements so that courtrooms can be built, repaired and equipped in a uniform and high-quality manner. The standard is updated at least once a year. "In addition to the screen, most courtrooms also have a screen control device, which is essentially like a small tablet, allowing the judge to control the screens and display the necessary information on the desired screen."
Innovative examples from other countries
While Estonia is often at the forefront of the digitalization of services in the world, according to Asi, there are also very strong examples from other parts of the world when it comes to courts. "The Netherlands, for example, is very developed and their systems are modern, which already allow the transcription and simultaneous interpretation of sessions. We don't have this capability yet, but such a solution would allow us to save resources again."
"To my great surprise, I have also seen how well things have been resolved in Spain. Namely, the entire session is filmed there, and next to the video there is also a transcription. Later, in the next court level, it is possible to watch the video of the hearing in such a way that all the places where a specific object, situation or person is discussed can be found in the transcription using Ctrl+F. This is an incredible time saving for the judge compared to the material we currently have to work through in order to find important information," the judge cited an example from another part of Europe.
When talking about digitalization of services in general, according to Asi, it is important to keep in mind that all systems must be very simple and understandable to everyone. "We come into contact with people who are aged 0-100 and have very different levels of digital competence." At the same time, it is also necessary to spread the risks related to the digitalization of services. "For this, we organize trainings for our staff and do everything to avoid these risks," the judge summarizes the digital future of the courts.
The digital state fuels the digital transformation of the courts
The digital transition of the courts is supported by the Estonian IT Centre, which offers computer workplace services and special solutions for courts, prisons, and the prosecutor's office in the administrative area of the Ministry of Justice. Risto Seegel, head of RIT's computer workplace services department, explains that they have developed specific solutions for courtrooms and continues to innovate in this area. "There are often dozens of microphones in the rooms, which are all integrated with the presentation and video equipment, so the solution as a whole is a challenge."
The Estonian IT Centre has procured tablets for the prisons, which are centrally managed securely and with which the inmate can visit the pages provided by the prison and participate in the court session virtually. "Courts, prisons and the prosecutor's office are supported by a total of 20 IT maintenance specialists of the Estonian IT Centre who help users on the spot. They are joined by IT specialists and administrators who provide support from afar," says Seegel, listing the versatile team who are giving momentum to the courts' digital leap.
