Judiciary rolls out electronic case management system, starting with four registries in Lusaka and Kitwe

The Judiciary has launched an Electronic Case Management System (ECMS) that will move court administration from paper to digital records across the country, starting with a pilot covering four selected registries at the Lusaka High Court and Kitwe High Court buildings. Supreme Court Judge Nigel Mutuna explained the system at a media briefing for editors in Lusaka on Friday. He said the move is critical to fixing weaknesses in traditional registries, where misplaced files and delays in moving documents have long slowed justice. He said the system should also address concerns about corruption in registry work, including allegations of missing files and altered case records. Under the ECMS guidelines, lawyers and litigants will be able to file documents electronically at any hour, so they are no longer limited to the opening times of a physical registry. Users can upload, verify and manage documents remotely. The system has security measures meant to guard against unauthorised access and fraud. It will update court calendars automatically and send real-time notifications about cases, which the Judiciary says should reduce scheduling and communication errors. The platform is also meant to standardise case tracking at all levels of the Judiciary. Judge Mutuna asked the media to help the public understand how the digital registry can improve access to justice and protect constitutional rights by getting disputes resolved on time. He described the launch as a step towards greater transparency and accountability in the Judiciary. ## Why it matters For an ordinary person with a land dispute, a divorce or a claim for unpaid wages, delay is often the biggest cost. A file that goes missing, or a case that is not on the cause list because it was not updated, can add months to a case. A system that records every filing and every step is meant to make that harder. The pilot covers only four registries in two cities, though, so most Zambians who go to court outside Lusaka and K