Court Modernization in Latvia
Modernization of Courts in Latvia
Annual meeting, 2013
Court Modernization in Latvia
Agenda
Introduction to Project framework
Part 1: Videoconferencing in Courts
Part 2: Process and cost optimization
Part 3: e-Services
Q&A
Court Modernization in Latvia
Latvian un Swiss cooperation programme individual project «Court
Moderrnization in Latvia» Nr.CH01
Contract date: August 17, 2009
Contractual parties: Ministry of Finance (Latvia), Swiss Confederation
Implementation: Ministry of Justice (Latvia), Court Administration (Latvia),
Central Finance and Contracting Agency (Latvia)
Total budget: 9 411 765 CHF (~4,9 m. LVL)
Financing by Swiss Confederation: 85%
Deadline: June 30, 2013 (planned for extension til December 31, 2013)
No of Activities: 6
Project management: Ltd Ernst & Young Baltic, Audit: Ltd Rodl & Partner
PR: Ltd Tēls PR & Deep White
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Activities 1 and 2 «Set-up videoconference equipment in courts
and prisons», «Set-up audio recording equipment in court
proceedings»
Budget: 6 358 799 CHF
Contractor: Ltd «Lattelecom» (provides also hot-swap of central
infrastructure, fast and reliable data transfer network)
Target Indicators: 1000 videoconference sessions / 2000 audio rec
Financial cost savings: Prisoner convoy costs (100 CHF per case, 13
000 cases annually), cross border court hearings, facilities for accused
persons, attendance of forensic experts
Other benefits: General public safeguarding, decreased convoy
paperwork, decreased health threats (infectious diseases)
Limitations: real time presence, eye contact
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Activities 1 and 2 «Set-up videoconference equipment in
courts and prisons», «Set-up audio recording equipment in
court proceedings»
• Main use scenarios: Court – Prison facility, Court – Mobile
unit (hospital, home, child room u.t.t.,), Court in Latvia –
Court in Foreign country, Court – Forensic office, Police,
Prosecutor, State Revenue Service e.t.c.
• Enhanced application: Trainings, seminars, meetings,
discussion panels (Courts – Ministry of Justice/CA, Courts –
Courts, Prisons – Prisons, Courts – Foreign courts etc.).
• Simultenously 12 end-points
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 – Videoconferencing: Status
Activities 1 and 2 «Set-up videoconference equipment in
courts and prisons», «Set-up audio recording equipment
in court proceedings»
• 58 (6 large, 52 standard) Court rooms equipped with
videoconference equipment (each Court house has at least
one)
• 16 standard prison videoconference rooms
• 7 mobile videoconference units (with voice distortion)
• 312 rooms equiped with audio recording equipment
• Secure and reliable (backed-up hot-swap) central
infrastructure in two locations
• High capacity, secure data transfer lines
• All rooms supplied with curtains and furniture
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Equipment:
• Display – Samsung 51’ (2 displays for large rooms, 32’
for prison facilities)
• Centrally managed videoconference unit - Cisco
TelePresence System Codec C40 with 1 movable
videocam (2 videocoms for large rooms)
• Configurable digital audio processor BSS BLU-100 – with
6 microphones (10 microphones for large court rooms, 5 –
for audio recording only, 1 microphone for prison
facilities)
• 7 mobile units Cisco TelePresence System 1700 MXP
• Central infrastructure in 2 separate locations
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Activities 1 and 2 «Set-up videoconference equipment in
courts and prisons», «Set-up audio recording equipment in
court proceedings»
• Computer hardware in court rooms (135 units)
• Installation of data network wiring in court rooms and prison
facilities (>2 m/bits)
• Additional furniture, curtains and audio storage/playback
equipment
• Development and installation of audio protocol tagging system
(in progress)
• Support for the use of video conference equipment (in
progress)
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Current project activities (agreed as of 28.06.2012):
• 13 more rooms will be equiped
• 8 court rooms with audio recording equipment
• 25 additional displays
• 45 additional microphones
• Current status – tendering procedure in progress (2
applicants)
• Implementation within existing budget framework
• Implementation deadline June 30, 2013
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Project status (agreed as of 28.06.2012):
• March 31, 2013 – Number of videoconferences: =1757
January 1, 2013 – Number of audio recordings: > 5000
• Implementation extension needed – December 31, 2013
– Additional controls for tendering process for all tenders,
– New Court-house building,
– Thorough assessment of requirements for additional displays and
microphones (as noted by EU technical experts to implement
«True-To-Life») done,
– Additional on-going end-user support in progress, lessons learnt
and development of hands-on use procedures,
– Cooperation with Baltic partners.
• Additional project partners (incl.Court Administration,
Ministry of Justice, Forensic expert office etc.)
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 1 - Videoconferencing
Long-term plan and actions
- Provide ongoing planning of user hands–on support (contract with Lattelecom for 6
support specialists in different regional courts – Rēzekne, Liepāja, Valmiera, Rīga),
development of lessons learnt and practical guide
- Monitor legislation changes (checklist of all proposed and implemented legislation
changes developed)
- Pan Baltic knowledge sharing (next Baltic meeting in Riga, August, 2013)
- Promoting project on EU scale (annual Forum Meeting for all EU member states
between their respective capital cities appellation courts presidents and
prosecutors, Riga (October 23-25, 2013)
- Further introduce true-to-life video conferencing experience
- Plan in advance for more applications of videoconference equipment
- Facilitate effective use of audio protocols (development of Tagging system in
progress).
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 2 – Process and cost optimization
Activity 3: «Improve cost management of the courts»
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Cost analysis of court processes (by determing cost elements and drivers)
Cost accounting model configured in Microstrategy – a BA tool integrated with
accounting software allows for continuous analysis and modelling of process
reengineering
Cost optimization options evaluated
Initial analysis done for 8 selected pilot Courts
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Current activity status – Implementation to be finalized by May 31, 2013.
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 2 – Process and cost optimization
Activity 4:
«Improve effectiveness of court procedures»
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Focus to shorten court procedures time and
implement new e-services.
Implementation of a newly developed Court
Organizational Handbook to streamline the
effectiveness of the whole legal process in
general by sharing best practice of court
organization.
Development of implementation plan.
-
Implementation completed.
-
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 2 – Process and cost optimization
Activity 3 and 4: Focus Areas
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e-Services, e-Case;
Standardized customer service, one-stop-agency;
Extensive use of videoconferencing;
Specialized courts;
Optimize workload across courts (modelling tool).
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 3: e-Services
Activities 5 and 6: «Improve direct access to the courts
through use of new technologies», «Improve information and
service delivery to the inhabitants and business»
• There are 140 new information boards supplied to coarts
• 46 new electronic kiosks have been installed with a deployed
portal www.tiesas.lv and central management
• 85 additional seats equiped with document scanner
infrastructure (to process court applications in paper form)
• Implementation completed.
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 3: e-Services
Activities 5 and 6: «Improve direct access to the courts through use of new
technologies», «Improve information and service delivery to the
inhabitants and business»
• Modernization of Court Information System to process electronic
documents and services
– New design (dat input forms), database platform, new functionality – process electronic
documents, new data exchange interfaces with external registers (Transport Register,
State Revenue Service, State Land Register, Landbooks, Register of Criminal Offenses)
• Development of court application forms
– Application forms (71) to be submitted electronically or in paper form.
• Development of a complex Intranet solution for Courts, Landbook offices
and Court Administration needs (~2500 internal users)
– Electronic processing of vacation requests, material and equipment requisitions, IT
problems etc.
Court Modernization in Latvia
Part 3: e-Services
Activities 5 and 6: «Improve direct access to the
courts through use of new technologies»,
«Improve information and service delivery to
the inhabitants and business»
• Portal www.tiesas.lv
– Development of a new portal - data dissamination
system to provide easy access for both private
persons and representatives of legal entities and
state institutions to online e-documents (Court
decisions, court case e-documents), as well as
additional functionality for submitting court
application forms, monitoring of court proceedings,
automatic anonimization of court decisions,
advocate calendar, advanced search for court
decisions, court statistics etc.)
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Access to www.tiesas.lv both for authorised and unauthorized users
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Submitt or fill-in electronic application forms online
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Calendar for advocates
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Monitor court proceedings process
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Anonimization of court decisions
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Advanced search options for court decisions
Court Modernization in Latvia
• Portal www.tiesas.lv updated with court statistics
Court Modernization in Latvia
Q&A