On 11 May 2020, a first Steering Committee Meeting was organised via videoconference, officially starting the CEPEJ Project “Establishing a Digital Strategy for the Maltese Justice Sector”, which is funded by the Directorate General For Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the CEPEJ. Representatives of the Maltese Ministry for Justice, Equality and Governance, representatives of the European Union, as well as CEPEJ experts and members of the Secretariat discussed the expectations of the beneficiaries as regards the new project, as well as the expected results of the Project in the light of the specific Covid situation. The first activities will be organised via videoconference and will lead to a complete assessment of past and future IT tools and services in the Maltese judicial sector. This cooperation Project further highlights the active cooperation between the CEPEJ and Malta, in which another project aiming at supporting the improvement of the efficiency of the Court of Appeal and the management of the courts is also being conducted.
ESTABLISHING A DIGITAL STRATEGY FOR THE MALTESE JUSTICE SECTOR
SRSS/S2019/033 - "Support to Member States in the implementation of structural reforms"
Context of the Project
The digitalisation of justice is widely seen as a means of improving the efficiency of justice and facilitating access to justice for court users. In Malta, the transition from a paper-based system to an electronic system started in 2000 with the introduction of the first electronic systems which helped courts to compile and retrieve data relating to court processes. More recently, the court administration has been working to introduce new information technology (IT) initiatives to modernise its services and improve efficiency; however, these initiatives have been recognised by the Maltese authorities as being isolated in their implementation, without following a unified and pre-established strategy. Furthermore, while this trend towards increased use of technology seems to have motivated users to make greater use of IT tools, change management has not been adequately addressed through training initiatives or targeted information campaigns.
The Ministry for Justice, Equality and Governance of Malta has therefore expressed its willingness to develop a comprehensive digital strategy for the judicial field, with the support of the CEPEJ.
The CEPEJ has a long-standing experience of working with Malta. The CEPEJ has also been developing tools on the specific integration of IT in judicial systems. First and foremost, the “Guidelines on how to drive change towards cyberjustice” and the "Toolkit for its implementation which set out good practices from European Member States" that will be of significant help to build up a Maltese Digital Justice Strategy (DJS). A report entitled “The use of information technology in European Courts” that contains baseline data and the “European Ethical Charter on the use of AI in judicial systems and their environment” will be a basis for awareness-raising workshops in Malta.
Project's objective
The objective of the project shall be the adoption of a Digital Justice Strategy and the corresponding Action Plan by the Ministry for of Justice, Culture and Local Government. A particular focus will be placed on:
- the co-ordination of past and future IT initiatives while preparing for a strategy in line with European best practices;
- a supporting the Maltese authorities in developing the DJS and its Action Plan with a comprehensive consultation process of all stakeholders.
Project beneficiaries and stakeholders
The final beneficiary of the Action is the Ministry for Justice, Equality and governance of Malta. The target groups include civil servants in MJCL, and judges, court managers, judicial trainers, and court staff. The action shall finally benefit to court users and ultimately the entire population of Malta, which will benefit directly and indirectly from the modernisation and improved efficiency and quality of the Maltese judicial system.
