E-Justice in Germany: Current Develop-ments and Future Challenges for Court Procedures

Abstract

Justice systems around the world are increasingly subject to digitization. In Thailand, several civil courts have already opened e-filing channels to receive documents relevant to certain procedures via the internet. This article looks at the implementation of electronic court systems in Germany, where the term “e-justice” refers to electronic communication in legal matters and electronic file management. It outlines the relevant development stages as well as some technical details. It then looks at the possible future of e-justice and discusses challenges for traditional procedural principles posed by the possible introduction of sophisticated computer technologies such as machine-learning, algorithms and Artificial Intelligence. The article argues that these technological advancements will have affirmative, accelerative and transformative effects on procedural principles and trends. Whereas the future of e-justice can make court procedures more efficient, impartial and just, major challenges regarding the transparency of computer codes remain.

Keywords: digitization – electronic court – procedural functions – access to justice – artificial intelligence