The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has officially marked the completion of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s (ECSC) E-Litigation Portal Criminal Module. This significant milestone, celebrated during a ceremony on 14th November 2024, signals the full implementation of the portal across all criminal cases in the country. The launch marks the culmination of a phased rollout, which began in September 2019, and positions St. Kitts and Nevis at the forefront of judicial modernisation in the region.
The E-Litigation Portal was first introduced in 2019, with the initial phase enabling the electronic filing of all High Court civil and Court of Appeal cases. In March 2023, the second phase extended the portal’s reach to civil and family cases in the Magistrate’s Court. The final phase, completed on 13th November 2024, now includes all criminal cases in the High Court and Magistrate’s Court, which will be managed through the portal.
His Lordship Justice Mario Michel, in his feature address, praised the initiative as a crucial step in the ECSC’s ongoing efforts to modernise the region’s judicial system. He emphasised the advantages of the E-Litigation Portal in improving transparency, efficiency, and accessibility for litigants and legal professionals.
“The portal ensures that all documents filed are considered served on all parties immediately, eliminating the need for physical delivery of documents, no matter where the parties are located. This reduces the vast amounts of paper previously used in legal proceedings and alleviates the costs and frustrations that often accompany physical service. It is especially beneficial for those residing outside the country or represented by lawyers from abroad,” Justice Michel stated.
The transition to a digital system also addresses significant operational challenges. Prior to the implementation of the portal, the court system faced difficulties managing high volumes of paper, resulting in storage issues, errors, delays, and even health hazards from dust and mould. The transition to electronic filing has mitigated these issues and increased the overall efficiency of the court process.
In his speech, Justice Michel noted the importance of the portal in enhancing transparency, as parties involved in a case can access real-time updates, documents, notices, and orders issued by the court. He further explained the impact of the system on court staff, as the elimination of physical documents reduces the administrative burden and the risks associated with manual handling.
“Management of paper documents posed serious challenges for storage and organisation. Misfiled documents, missing pages, and the physical wear and tear of paper added complexity to an already strained system. The E-Litigation Portal resolves these issues, ensuring that cases are managed with greater precision and speed,” he said.
In addition to the E-Litigation Portal, the ECSC has introduced cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to further modernise the court system. St. Kitts and Nevis became the first country in the Eastern Caribbean to adopt a speech-to-text transcription system in its civil courtroom. This AI-powered system, which is now also used in criminal courts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Dominica, provides near-instantaneous, highly accurate transcripts of court proceedings.
“AI technology allows us to generate court transcripts with 95 percent accuracy in real time, meaning litigants and their lawyers will receive transcripts within days, rather than weeks or even months. This reduces delays and ensures that critical documents are available when needed, particularly in appeals, where timely transcripts are essential,” Justice Michel explained.
The ECSC is also deploying a second AI transcription system, which uses Microsoft Azure technology to address backlogs in certain courts, further improving efficiency and accuracy in court reporting.
Justice Michel called on all court users, including staff, lawyers, litigants, and judicial officers, to embrace these technological advancements, which are part of the ECSC’s broader goal to ensure a more responsive, efficient, and equitable justice system for all.
“These innovations reflect our commitment to modernising the justice system while upholding our core values of justice and equity. We are continually striving to improve how we serve our communities and ensure that justice is accessible to all,” he concluded.
The successful rollout of the E-Litigation Portal and the introduction of AI-driven technology in the courts are key developments in the ECSC’s ongoing efforts to enhance the judicial process across the Eastern Caribbean.
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