SLT, Just in Time, Huawei link up for digital court proceedings
View(s):In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an alarming increase in criminal activities involving prisoners in jails, video conferencing and tele-presence technology in court rooms and prisons will soon become a reality in Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of Justice will be introducing video conferencing solution under a courts –prison collaborative entrusting Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to carry out this task.
According to the initial plan 20 courts will be linked up with the same number of prisons countrywide through video conferencing system which will enable court proceedings to be held without moving inmates, official sources said.
The project is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Justice, SLT and the judiciary.
Video conferencing solution for Ministry of Justice will be carried out by SLT with Just in Time Technologies Pvt Ltd as the managed service partner (lead partner) by using Huawei products for the solution design.
This decision was taken at the recent meeting on finalising strategic partnerships for the project, an official document revealed.
The total cost for the whole video conferencing system will be in the region of Rs.350 million, according to the costing estimates submitted to the ministry.
Justice Ministry Secretary Ms. S.M. Mohamed told the Business Times that the project is in the pipeline and declined to comment on matters relating to it as no cabinet decision has been taken as yet.
However the Ministry has given consent to the SLT to go ahead with the plan of developing the video conferencing solution partnering with Just in Time Technologies and Huawei Lanka, informed sources said.
Video conferencing solution is aimed at increasing the efficiency of court proceedings by reducing time and costs while offering practical solutions to problems of transporting prisoners.
It will reduce security risks and the potential harm to prisoners and the public creating a more responsive and engaging interaction between legal practitioners and clients.
According to the project concept plan, the main solution deliverables are remote court hearings for extending remand period of inmates, virtual jail visitation for inmates’ family members, enabling attorneys at law to consult and take instructions from inmates (remote legal consultations during convenient times).
It will also provide remote participation and observation facility for lawyers and remote participation of law enforcement officers.
Future enhancement of the solution includes remote court hearing proceedings, and providing administrative collaboration facility for justice ministry, prisons and judiciary.
(BS)