Tanzania’s judiciary has implemented multi-faceted reforms to increase transparency, improve efficiency, and speed up the delivery of justice in courts that were once allegedly plagued by widespread corruption and inefficiency.
With the help of modern technology, the East African country is using digital tools such as virtual court sessions and e-filing system to enhance transparency and improve citizens’ access to justice.
Switching from a paper-based filing system to a digital format is expected to help clear a large backlog of cases and ease the burden of time-consuming legal processes and procedures, officials said.
Chief administrator of Tanzania’s judiciary, Elisante Gabriel said the ongoing reforms are aimed at ensuring that legal proceedings are operated efficiently.
According to him, the e-filing system that is being introduced in courts at different levels will enable litigants to file and track their cases easily.
There are over 1 million cases pending in the country’s courts. Officials estimate that about 60% of the cases has been pending for two years, and almost 40% has been pending for more than five years.
The judiciary is using cutting-edge digital technologies to save time and money, and speed up the delivery of justice as part of the initiative, which includes training court officers, building new court facilities, and introducing mobile courts to bring services closer to people who were excluded in the past.
While strong institutions and justice are essential for a nation’s peace and prosperity, analysts say Tanzania’s court system is often hampered by delays and unnecessary procedures, costing the country approximately $464 million every year.