The Chief Justice, Prof Ibrahim Juma, has urged Tanzanians to start preparing for the digitalisation of courts as one method of increasing transparency and improving access to justice.
Prof Juma made the call yesterday at the inauguration of the Mwanga and Same District court buildings in the Kilimanjaro Region.
He stated that the world was experiencing a digital revolution, and Tanzania could not be excluded from it, so everyone needed to prepare for the changes brought about by the revolution.
"At the moment, a large percentage of proceedings are opened online, which means that we will come to a time when everything will be conducted online," he explained. "Perhaps if you live far from this court, you can go to an office or court that has an internet and be heard from there."
He added," I would like to remind the general public to prepare themselves for an era in which citizens will be able to find information for themselves and conduct their proceedings without relying on advocates,"
Speaking of the buildings, he stated that they were constructed by the constitution's requirement that the pillars of government must move closer to public justice delivery services. All three pillars share responsibility for ensuring that justice delivery services are brought closer to community members.
The Chief Justice also stated that they will continue to work on the issues that many Tanzanians face, such as the distance of these courts from many citizens' homes, forcing them to travel long distances to get services.
"When we talk about buildings, it is not the ones that are built with a loan from the World Bank, but most of them are built from local funds, that is, citizens' taxes. One of the buildings that we are proud to say is also built by taxpayers' money is the headquarters of the Court of Tanzania which is being completed soon in Dodoma," he explained
According to him, the importance of the district courts includes moving the court services closer to the people; they reduce congestion and will help the community, especially those who find it difficult to appeal.
In these buildings, he said they also encourage the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) where virtual court sessions make it easier for citizens to access justice more easily.
"The government has put the issue of the construction of the court in the National Five Year Development Plan 2021/22-2025/26 this assures us that we will continue to get money to ensure that the citizens get better services,"
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Initially, the Judge in Charge of the High Court of Tanzania Moshi Zone, Dr Juliana Masabo stated that Same District Court was established in 1964, serving the entire area of Same and Mwanga, and residents had to walk long distances ranging from 23 to 40 kilometers to reach the court, a situation that lasted for 17 years until 1981 when the Mwanga District Court was established.
Dr Masabo said the Mwanga District court serves the entire District area and has five primary courts under its supervision which include Mwanga Town, Usangi, Ugweno, Kagongo and Lembeli. The average number of hearings for the district court is 360 and 400 for primary courts per year.
In the case of Same, she said it serves 40 per cent of the Kilimanjaro Region and has eight courts under it which are Same, Kisiwani, Makanya, Gonja, Ndungu, Mamba Miamba, Kihurio, and Hedaru, and receives an average of 450 cases per year at the level of the District court.
