Records of court proceedings including write-ups by judges will from March be available within a day as the Judiciary rolls out automated services to boost efficiency.
Chief Justice (CJ) Willy Mutunga said the Judiciary Audio Visual Transcription System (Javit) will undergo trials from tomorrow at the Milimani Commercial Court before being formally introduced in courts in March.
He spoke in Limuru when he launched a registry manual for Magistrates and Kadhis, two years after a similar guide was unveiled for the High Court.
“These are the first steps towards automation. Indeed, the automation of court systems must be preceded by a codification of the manual systems that we have” Mr Mutunga said.
Besides ensuring efficiency, the automated record system is expected to boost transparency by according litigants, lawyers, judges and other interested parties ability to keep track of proceedings.
Court registries have for decades remained a pain for litigants and lawyers amid widespread cases of missing files and poor records fillings. The 24-hour release of court proceedings will be modelled on Parliamentary reports, where MPs debates are made available through the Hansard within a day or two
Justice Mutunga said the automated transcription system would help curb such malpractices and bolster ongoing reforms targeted at instilling transparency within the Judiciary.
“The Judiciary decided to transform in the open, in the belief that sunshine is the best anti-sceptic. We do not sweep things under the carpet following in the foolish advisory of not washing dirty linen in public,” the CJ said.
He added: “If other institutions have elected to retain and mask their dirty linen underneath, and consider that as an admirable leadership model, that is their choice - a modus operandi that has failed the country for decades”
He defended the Judiciary against claims of ineptitude and corruption especially in the wake of graft allegations against Supreme Court Judge Phillip Tunoi.
“We in the Judiciary have opted for a transparent model that respects and is responsive to public concerns, not a cloistered approach that keeps the rot under wraps. You cannot beat down an institution for doing the right thing,” Dr Mutunga said.
He said reforms have helped reduce case backlog in the courts by over half from over 1 million to just below 500, 000.
“You would not know that the waiting time in the Court of Appeal has reduced from 9 years to 3 years. You would not know that we have increased the number of Kadhis from 15 in 2011 to 56 today, and integrated the Kadhi’s into the Judiciary’s Scheme of Service,” the CJ noted.
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