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COURTS USE OF TECHNOLOGY. PC Rota. Current use – Judicial Scheduling Future development case scheduling Expansion for scheduling other resource requirements, e.g. Clerks, monitors, facilities Efforts for web base to accommodate Crown and defence access for scheduling.
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PC Rota • Current use – Judicial Scheduling • Future development • case scheduling • Expansion for scheduling other resource requirements, e.g. Clerks, monitors, facilities • Efforts for web base to accommodate Crown and defence access for scheduling
More CCAIN... • Efforts for defence/public access underway • Development plans for integration with PC Rota as well as ability to provide information to Corrections, Prosecutions, police and other stakeholders
More PRISM.... • Electronic Disclosure – scanning of files currently • CON data transfer – creating of Virtual files
VIDEO ACCESS TO CLIENTS • “Go To Meeting” from office to institution • Hopping from Court office
The Provincial Court of Managing Caseload / Workload by Videoconferencing in British Columbia
The Provincial Court of • Cases are scheduled months in advance; • Courtrooms are overbooked; • Cases are pre-trialed and managed many times over; • Counsel assure us their trials are proceeding; • Trial Day ….. Most trials do not proceed.
The Provincial Court of Day of Trial Collapse Rates in B.C. Adult Criminal Cases (January 1 – September 30, 2012)
The Provincial Court of Have a Judge? Need a Judge? Provincial Videoconferencing Workload Management • What is it? • Centrally managed; • Effective use of available resources; • Quick response;
The Provincial Court of Marketing: • Technology is just a tool, the trick is to motivate people to use it. • Trying to motivate both Judges and Lawyers.
The Provincial Court of Motivating Judges: • Valuable tool available to the Court. • Reduction in travel requirements by Judge. • Quality of the video picture promotes confidence in using the system.
The Provincial Court of Motivating Lawyers: • Valuable tool available to the Court. • Assist in reducing number of appearances. • Must have the ability to speak to their client. • (Above all) requires leadership from Judiciary.
The Provincial Court of Have a Judge / Need a Judge Usage January 1 – September 30
The Provincial Court of More Effective Use of Judge Resources Through Technology • Direct benefit to “receiving” Court location. • Separating work that can stall a courtlist; • Allows the Judge to begin with trials without interruptions; • Reduces the imbalance amongst Courts;
The Provincial Court of Current usage: For Judges (sitting remotely by video) • Sentence hearings, interim remands, bail hearings; • Submissions (where no evidence is required); • Decisions/Arguments; • Pre-trial conferences; • Family interim appearances and family case management; • Civil settlement conferences; • Civil applications.
The Provincial Court of Limitations • Some Judges may not want to hear certain types of remote appearances; • Limited by the criminal code and the usage of remote appearances; • Many types of appearances can be by consent ; • Change of culture.
Timeline Management System(TMS) • Front End protocol • Ability for judiciary to track status of cases and hold counsel accountable • PTCs also feed information into system • Administrative Courts – Judiciary refer to status in TMS to manage expectations of counsel • TCO – confirm dates prearranged with counsel • Case Management Coordinator enters information from report confirming authorization by Judiciary and ensuring follow up
Case Management • History of Case Management • Skill set required for Judiciary • Time required • Stats • Backlog numbers • General Trends • Resolution of cases
CMCs • Defence perspective • Need to hold back information • Ability to have resolution discussions and have the CMC Judge hear the matter
CMCs • Crown perspective • Always be collapse rate • Purpose • Pressure to resolve
The Provincial Court of Future Case Management Changes in BC Criminal Caseflow Management Rules (1999) Overall driving strategy: The effective, efficient and equitable use of resources. What have we learned? • Inability to effectively use Judge time mainly because of case collapses on the day of trial; • Complex front-end process with high impact and low return on investment.
The Provincial Court of Future Case Management Changes in BC • More creative in using our Judicial Resources; • Delayed Assignment Court; • Simplified Front-End Criminal Process; • Effective use of Judges through new policies, procedures and technology (ie: video).
Assignment Court process • Judicial role • When technology can complicate processes • Collapse rate • Overbooking • Virtual lists • Use of video to supply additional judicial resource • Resulting increase in afternoon sittings
Electronic Information project • Legislation potentially fall • Allow for swearing of all Informations electronically • storage and access of all Informations electronically • Only physically present when required by Judiciary
MB Justice Innovation Branch • Created in 2012 • Representation from each area • High level coordination • Defence access via internet • Assignment court • Gathering of statistical management information