Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza has said the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) will be extended to magistrates’ courts in Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces.
Speaking at the Magistrates National Conference in Bulawayo on Friday, she said the shift to electronic courts was no longer just an ambition but the future of the judiciary.
“The move towards e-justice is no longer a future aspiration. It is the direction in which our Judiciary is moving, and it is a journey which we must all embrace and undertake together,” she said.
Gwaunza said Manicaland and Mashonaland East successfully launched the IECMS on 1 June, joining a growing number of courts now conducting judicial business electronically.
She said preparations were underway for Phase 4.4 of the rollout, which will cover Midlands and Mashonaland West.
Gwaunza urged magistrates whose courts have already moved to the electronic platform to support colleagues preparing for the transition.
She said the JSC would continue to provide training, guidance and institutional support to ensure the migration is successful.
The IECMS was first introduced in Zimbabwe’s superior courts before being gradually rolled out to magistrates’ courts as part of the Judicial Service Commission’s drive to modernise court administration.
The system allows litigants and lawyers to file court documents electronically, helps judicial officers manage cases digitally, and improves tracking from filing to finalisation.
The judiciary says the system is designed to reduce delays, minimise the loss of court records, improve transparency and widen public access to justice through faster case processing.
More: ZimLive
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