Evolution of e-Justice Platforms: from ICT in Courts Towards ‘Digital Justice’ Portal in Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan e-justice is in its developing phase. Digital transformation of justice was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact of Covid-19 on courts was the rapid increase in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to maintain some functioning during lockdown and in its aftermath. The implemented ICT in courts must align with principles of law. The paper presents development of existing e-justice systems in Kyrgyzstan. The main objective of the paper is to analyse the evaluation that main actors in the judicial proceedings give to the effects of the development of e-justice concerning some relevant dimensions including access to justice, the right to a fair trial, the right to an effective remedy, data privacy, the rule of law and main judicial values. In addition, the paper conducts analysis of risks of e-justice implementation, and determines areas of improvement from technological, legal, organisational, human resources and educational perspectives. The main challenges of e-justice systems are identified in the study. The methodology of this paper includes an analysis of national legislation, public information about e-justice complemented by an exploratory empirical study based on ten semi-structured interviews with judges, court staff, advocates and an online survey of twenty-one advocates. The study provides ‘points of attention’ on how to improve e-justice in Kyrgyzstan.