Easier access to faster broadband is driving Australia’s shift to electronic courtrooms (eCourts), where all evidence - audio, video, electronic and printed - is presented in an electronic format and viewed on a big screen.
One of Australia’s foremost experts on electronic document management and eCourts, Phil Farrelly, says broadband is vastly improving how courts and lawyers manage large volumes of information, especially in big civil cases.
Phil is the founding partner and director of Potter Farrelly & Associates (www.potterfarrelly.com), an international consultancy that specialises in electronic justice processand information management.
He explains that in today’s global business environment, preparing cross-border litigation would be a logistical nightmare without the internet and advances in telecommunications.
“Imagine the time and costs involved in making multiple copies of hundreds of documents and then sending them around the world by courier, to all parties involved,” Phil said.
“Our expertise is in creating and managing a central, secure electronic repository for all the documents needed in a hearing.
“The database has a web interface, which means legal teams can log-on via a secure internet access, using registered passwords and litigation management software, to prepare their arguments,” he said.
“We also manage the flow of information when the case comes to court. In the early days of technology we had to bring the server, the actual hardware that contained the information, to the courtroom.
“Today, we simply plug our laptop into a broadband connection in the courtroom and we can usually retrieve a document from the off-site server in three to five seconds.
“To get an idea of the savings, compare this to a courtroom that uses hard copies of documents. It could take five to 10 minutes for everyone to find the right reference in their pile of papers and in some cases, the court could be adjourned to give everyone time to find the relevant document, especially for cross-examination,” said Phil.
The Supreme Court now encourages litigants to consider using electronic presentation if their case has more than 500 documents.
Australia is leading the world in setting guidelines for electronic exchange of documents and minimum standards for document formats and procedures.
Learn more:
- Find out more information on telecommunications technology and eCourts: Published articles (www.potterfarrelly.com)