Chief Justice Mambilima Concludes World Bank Working Week, Judiciary Signs MoU with US Centre for State Courts and Digitized Courts on Path to Enhanced Justice Delivery System

PRESS STATEMENT

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Washington D.C., Wednesday, 13th November 2019 – Chief Justice Irene Mambilima has hailed the World Bank Group's 2019 Law, Justice, & Development (LJD) Week as exciting and a success and announced that the United States National Centre for State Courts and the Judiciary of Zambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU is aimed at digitizing the Zambian judiciary and enhancing the case management systems in Zambian courts, a significant development that the Chief Justice said would further advance the nation’s justice delivery system and position the country as a sub-region model of technological advancement in the justice delivery system.

A digitized judiciary will result in Zambian courts incorporating technology into the administration of justice. It will among many positive developments result in courts keeping records in digital format which should improve the handling of cases and delivery of justice.

So far, Justice Mambilima said, up to a million records had been digitized in the judiciary. With the US National Centre delegation expected to arrive in Lusaka in the first quarter of 2020, further work in the digitizing of the judiciary and acceleration of technological transformation of the Zambian judicial system would be expected.

Expounding on the significance of technology in the judicial system, Justice Mambilima said: “Technology is needed to improve the justice system and I am happy to say that the MoU we have signed with the National Centre for State Courts Governance Unit, we stand to gain.”

“We are now looking at a workable case management system specifically tailored to our needs,” Justice Mambilima said adding: “We cannot talk about development in isolation. It has to embrace rights and justice and the conference (LJD Week) here was exciting and a success as it helped us with exchanges and experiences of other countries’ technology use in their justice systems as well as share what we have done and the successes that others can learn from.”

Justice Mambilima was speaking in Washington D.C at the conclusion of the World Bank Law, Justice and Development Week 2019.

The Law, Justice and Development Week 2019 focused on the overarching theme of Rights, Technology and Development. The LJD Week reviewed the intersection of human rights and technologies, explored the legal response to the impact on development challenges posed by disruptive technologies as well as examined how technology in fragile contexts affects development outcomes with a focus on vulnerable groups.

Justice Mambilima said the meetings also studied ways to incorporate technology into the administration of justice, analyzed the impact of technology on the practice of law and the legal and ethical implications of new technologies and economic development.

She said the 2019 Conference was important and well deliberated stressing that technology played a key role in informing good regulatory, legal, and judicial outcomes.

It was the second time that Zambia joined leading voices in the field of law and development around some of the most important conversations to help define shared responsibility towards a better world for all. The LJD Week, which attracted Chief Justices from around the world, Attorney Generals and Ministers of Justice was also attended by Hon. Lady Justice Mugeni Siwale-Mulenga, from the Constitutional Court.

Issued by:

Eric Mwanza
First Secretary – Press & Public Relations
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Washington D.C.