By Our Reporter
In October 2021, the Judiciary of Uganda officially commissioned the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS).
This followed a five-year contract worth Shs9.2 billion signed between Synergy International Systems and the Judiciary in 2019.
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ECCMIS is a fully-featured system that automates and tracks all aspects of a case life cycle – from initial filing through disposition and appeal to each individual party for any case type.
Commissioned on March 1, 2022 by Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny – Dollo in Kampala, the system was built from Synergy’s e-Case product.
Here are the main benefits of the ECCMIS…
• The Electronic Court Case Management Information System is accessible anywhere on all devices that is computer, tablet and mobile phone.
It provides online services for case filing, payments, automated reminders, and free access to summons and judgments.
• ECCMIS reduces chances of physical contact with court staff which combats bribery and thus corruption.
• It helps in keeping up with court schedules on the system calendar. Automatic information of appeal deadline, online access to proof that a case is no longer eligible for appeal due to time bar. Free access to Judgment copies online. Online Follow-up of cases, their current status and next status can all be found on the system.
SMS, E-mail and system notifications of Case proceeding notifications (filing, pre-trial, hearing, pronouncement).
From a single window, given username and password, petitioners access all cases in which they have ever been party or advocate.
• Saves time and cost. You don’t have to move from Wakiso to Gulu for a case hearing even as you reach there you are told the judge is not there and others travel to just find out the progress on the case.
• For the Judiciary it allows automatic court case number generation. Easy access to case documents from other institutions such as cases from lower courts,online case summons and orders. Easy to dispatch information to petitioners and other system users (all information is available in one place).
• Easy manipulation of case documents. Use information that has already been input by others without having to rewrite it in order to save time. Case assignment is easier.
• Permits easy access to precedent for judges to ensure quick, fair, and consistent decisions.
• Monitoring of Judicial Officers performance on case management, hence enabling efficient and effective human resource allocation.