Court Tech HQ

How much time have you spent over the last few years looking for technology related information? Would you expect courts to have minimal technological support to help you be more effective, such as e-filing systems, an electronic registries, and courtroom technology, etc.?

Canada now has an organization focusing on these issues and providing solutions! The Canadian Centre for Court Technology - Centre Canadien de Technologie Judiciaire (CCCT-CCTJ) was created following a national forum in August 2005 promoted by the Canadian Judicial Council and other leading legal and judicial organizations.

Shortly after the Centre’s incorporation in March 2007, the Board of Directors held its first in-person meeting. The board is comprised of representatives of all the Centre’s stakeholders in different jurisdictions: judges from superior and provincial courts, deputy ministers, members of the bar, court administrators and a representative of the public.

One of the first concrete actions of the CCCT-CCTJ was to launch a justice technology survey, to assess the state of technology in the courts across the country and to identify the main priorities. The survey is now entering its second phase and the Centre hopes to publicize its results in early 2010.

In April 2008, the CCCT-CCTJ launched its website (www.ccct-cctj.ca), now being upgraded to include more modern features and offer more up-to-date information. In August 2008, it co-sponsored a national conference, “Putting the Pieces Together,” with the Association of Canadian Court Administrators. In March 2009, the CCCT-CCTJ welcomed its first Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Jaar, who will lead the Centre into a more active and work-product oriented stage.

The Centre is currently putting in place different working groups, known as Intellaction Working Groups (IWGs), comprised of experts hand-picked among the CCCT-CCTJ’s stakeholders. The first three IWGs and the issues they will focus on are:

Court technology clearinghouse: developing a website where all the material relating to court technologies will be centralized and searchable;

Court website: providing the courts with a template website to meet today’s expectations, one that can be developed, updated and maintained easily and at a low cost;

Information management/e-filing: developing best practices and case studies for the implementation of e-filing systems.

Over the coming months, other IWGs on different technology-related topics will see the light of day. Interested parties are invited to send their ideas and comments for topics or potential IWG members to ideas@ccct-cctj.ca.

By Dominic Jaar, e-discovery and legal technology expert and president of Ledjit Consulting (www.ledjit.com), a unique firm specializing in information management, e-discovery, legal technology and law practice management. He is Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Centre for Court Technology (www.ccct-cctj.ca).