In what is being called an investment in greater access to justice, New Brunswick’s government will spend more than $32 million over six years for the technological revamp of the province’s court system, which will include various digital upgrades to the courts, as detailed in an April 3 news release.
This funding can be traced back to the Department of Justice and Public Safety’s $403.2 operating budget, of which $87.2 million will flow to justice services and the province’s Office of the Attorney General.
The $5 million will be used to “begin the digital transformation project.”
The new technology will include a new case management system that will “integrate the three levels of [the province’s] courts,” thus allowing for streamlined scheduling, a reduction in “duplicate data entry,” the enabling of electronic filing and the increase of “data availability.”
It will also mean “in-court upgrades” that will see the enhancing of video conferencing, court recordings and the presentation of digital evidence.
“This transformation is expected to reduce the need to travel to court to file documents, pay fines and, in some cases, make appearances,” states the release. “Automated scheduling processes are intended to ensure efficient use of court resources and reduce court delays.”
New Brunswick’s justice system “faces challenges with our existing technology, including information systems and in-court equipment,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Robert McKee in a statement.
McKee called the enhancements key to greater access to justice for everyone.
“With this transformation, New Brunswickers, the legal community, public prosecutions, law enforcement and the judiciary can access the justice system more efficiently, while also reducing court delays.”
To varying degrees, courts across Canada have been continuing down a path of long overdue modernization since the COVID-19 pandemic — during which they began having to rely on things such as virtual technology and digital filing as a way of staying at least somewhat operational during public health lockdowns.
The news release notes other investments being made in the province’s justice system, including $1.4 million to increase the province’s legal aid tariff and $1.67 million to increase the number of in-house counsel.
“Our government recognizes we must do things differently if we want to transform our province,” said McKee. “In combination with the other initiatives underway within the department, we are making strides to address court delays and help ensure New Brunswickers receive timely access to justice.”
This is not the first time New Brunswick has made moves to modernize its courts.
In June 2021, the province announced the building of a new courthouse in the capital of Fredericton — complete with “smart” technology.
A request sent to a government spokesperson for additional information on the courts’ digital transformation was not met by press time.
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