CJ attends SACJF Judicial Symposium on Digitization and Internet Governance

Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda, SC was among the 12 Southern African Chief Justices who attended the Symposium on Digitization and Internet Governance held in Nairobi, Kenya from 21st to 22nd April 2022.

The forum gave an ideal opportunity for the Chief Justices and other distinguished Jurists from across the region to share experiences, ideas and perspectives on the administration of justice and the question of Digitisation and Internet Governance

The symposium was jointly organized by the Southern African Chief Justices Forum (SACF) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) under the theme Digital Transformation of Judiciaries in Africa and Experiences in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic in their jurisdictions.

During the symposium, the Chief Justices explored the

1. Impact of internet shutdowns on human rights and civic space;
2. Role of the judiciary in protecting internet freedoms;
3. Regional and international standards on the protection of internet freedoms; and
4. Trends in the development of African jurisprudence on internet shutdowns.

At the end of the symposium, judiciaries in the region were encouraged to;

1. Equip their officers with technological competencies to keep pace with the changing world.
2. Consider digitizing the court services to enable online case registration, online records access and remote court proceedings.
3. Ensure access to information and remove all restrictions which impinge on the rights of citizens.

Pursuant to Goal 1 of the 2019-24 Judiciary Strategic Plan, the Judiciary has so far adopted remote proceedings through the installation of video conferencing system in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Courts, implemented the Case Management System in the High Court and piloting it at the Magistrate Court, and will soon formulate the ICT Policy to speed up the modernization of court services.