BULAWAYO – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) says it expects to eliminate longstanding irregularities in court registries, including missing case files, backdated stamps and forged signatures, through a new electronic case management system.

JSC secretary Walter Chikwana said the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), whose fourth phase was launched at Tredgold Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo on Thursday, would improve transparency and reduce opportunities for corruption in the handling of court cases.

“For a long time, as the judiciary, we have received complaints about files and dockets going missing, of stamps being backdated and signatures being forged. All these are complaints we have been getting in our court registries,” Chikwana said.

“I can assure you that all these anomalies are going to be a thing of the past. No one will be paying for someone to check the status of a particular case because now people will be able to access this information on the IECMS platform.”

The system allows litigants and legal practitioners to file court documents electronically, track cases and access other judicial services through a digital platform.

Chikwana said digitisation would also address corruption associated with the filing and hearing of cases by making information more accessible and reducing opportunities for irregularities.

The JSC plans to establish electronic filing offices at police stations and chiefs’ courts across the country to help people access the system without travelling long distances to court.

The commission will also provide free assistance at internet hubs and conduct training sessions for legal practitioners, police and prison officers, National Prosecuting Authority personnel and members of the public.

The training sessions are scheduled for October 30 to November 1.

The IECMS programme began in May 2022 and has been rolled out in phases across the country. Bulawayo and Harare were scheduled towards the end of the rollout because they have the highest numbers of judicial employees and court cases, Chikwana said.

The JSC plans to introduce the system at the High Court at midnight on December 31, before focusing on consolidating its use from January 2027.