South African Criminal Justice System: Digital Transformation Case Study
This case study delves into the initiatives undertaken by the South African government towards digitally transforming its criminal justice system, highlighting current implementations, gaps, and technological paradigms. Explore the potential of Estonia's digital transformation initiatives and their relevance.
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Towards a Digitally Transformed Criminal Justice System: A South African case study Nelisiwe Dlamini , Lusani Mamushiane, Mpho Nkosi, Sabelo Dlamini, Tumelo Ramaboka
Outline Outline Glance into the current initiatives by the South African government towards a digitally transformed criminal justice system Gap analysis on these implementations was conducted Technological paradigms which demonstrate great potential Explored Estonia s digital transformation initiatives Conclusion 2 SITA SOC Ltd
Introduction Introduction South African criminal justice system is organized into a cluster known as the Justice and Protection Services (JPS) JPS cluster consists of several core ministries which work in an integrated pattern to deliver on the cluster s mandate - i.e. South African Police Services (SAPS), State and Security Agency, Home Affairs, Justice and Constitutional Development, Office of the Chief Justice, Correctional Services etc. At its core: JPS is about strengthening coordination between different ministries under its jurisdiction to streamline communication between the ministries - - To build safe, just, inclusive and resilient communities 3 SITA SOC Ltd
Introduction Introduction Criminal Justice chain of events Criminal Justice chain of events 4 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives Initiatives by the South African Criminal Justice System, within the Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) Integrated Case Docket Management System JPS modernized its case management by integrating an electronic docket (e- docket) management system ensuring seamless case information exchange - the uptake of the e-docket management system, particularly by police stations, has been reported to be slow - The system can still be enhanced, e.g. the security of the e-docket management system - The enhancement can include integrating emerging technologies such as blockchain - The main advantage of this technology is that it does not have central management authority - 5 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives The Paperless Estates Administration System (PEAS) Used by Master s Office to capture the deceased s estate information and to manage case workflows Objective of the system - Improve service delivery and time management by the Master s Office The identified drawback of PEAS The original documents are received by the Estate Controller as hard copies from the applicants and forwarded to what is called a Scanner Clerk who scans the documents to generate electronic copies There are stringent confidentiality and security requirements as it pertains to estate documents - Blockchain is the technology identified as a promising solution To create distributed ledgers of tamper-proof estate documents - - - - - 6 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives Audio-Visual Remand (AVR): A technology integrated into JPS courtrooms and correctional facilities: Enables court proceedings, including witness testifying and language interpreting to be conducted virtually Detainees at correctional facilities are tried virtually via a live video conference link to the corresponding courts handling their cases This contributes to a time and cost efficient process as it eliminates the logistics involved in transporting detainees to court Common major challenge reported by most courts (especially located in rural areas) is poor network connectivity - - 7 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives An important requirement towards an effective AVR system is a Robust telecommunication infrastructure Video quality and real-time audio and video transmissions are critical during court proceedings One of the ways to address this challenge can be - - - - The use of 5G offers capabilities such as ultra-low latency and high-bandwidth communications - Exploring optimal ways to integrate these new technologies into the telecommunication infrastructure to cost-effectively support high bandwidth consumption applications such as AVR would be prudent 8 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives The Court Recording Technology (CRT) A digital audio recording technology used to record court proceedings (such as trial hearings) The drawback of CRT is that it still requires manual transcription efforts - - - Processing times of the transcripts are very extensive - Transcripts delivery format is still paper-based Opportunity to integrate automatic transcription capabilities into CRT leveraging AI and NLP, e.g. Courtside and Courtaudio Instead of archiving the entire audio or video recording in data centres, edge computing can be leveraged To ensure better utilization of the broadband infrastructure and cost savings on storage services - 9 SITA SOC Ltd
Identified Initiatives Identified Initiatives MojaPay A financial management system that address the administration of third-party funds (e.g. child maintenance funds) The system suffered a ransomware attack in 2021, which denied access to all services making it impossible to pay maintenance and estate beneficiaries The security posture of government IT systems still needs to be enhanced AI (machine learning and deep learning) and blockchain have been presented as potential technologies for enabling automatic cyberdefense - - - - 10 SITA SOC Ltd
An exploration of a different nation: Estonia An exploration of a different nation: Estonia Developed a single central database architecture called E-File To enable parties of the legal proceedings and their representatives to electronically submit their cases and related documents To observe the progress of their cases online Blockchain is integrated into this database to enhance resiliency, transparency, and security Limitation towards digital transformation efforts is: criminal justice system of Estonia still uses paper documents, since the law deems these to be the originals Invested extensively in cutting-edge audio-visual technologies and speech recognition technology - - 11 SITA SOC Ltd
An exploration of a different nation: Estonia An exploration of a different nation: Estonia Estonia was chosen due to its reputation for growth and success in leading digital transformation initiatives Largely attributed to the government stance in taking necessary steps, such as implementing innovative policies, making changes to policies and laws, introducing the required regulations and making investments to drive and expedite digital transformation This highlights the possibilities of the extent of digital transformation the South African government can achieve if a proactive approach is taken by the government by spearheading these efforts - - 12 SITA SOC Ltd
Other Opportunities Based On Current Digital Trends Other Opportunities Based On Current Digital Trends These technologies include Blockchain - - Being utilized in judicial structures as a tool for the management of sensitive legal documents - e.g. Blockchain authenticated body camera to provide crucial e.g. Blockchain authenticated body camera to provide crucial evidenc 3D printing evidenc - - Aids in the construction of 3D objects from a digital file or computer-aided design (CAD). - e.g. Hong Kong law enforcement is using 3D printing to make crime scene models, Digital twins - - Digital twins represents a significant trend in the fourth industrial revolution - Development of new products and services - Digital twins can help various institutions to simulate real situations and their outcomes, aiding decision making. 13 SITA SOC Ltd
Conclusion Conclusion The conducted study reveals substantial progress in the advancement of the justice system's modernization Identified the current activities in the South Africa s Justice and Protection Services (JPS) programme - With the intention to enhance the visibility of the work that has been accomplished - Enable other government clusters to identify initiatives where several digital trends can be explored The highlight of initiatives in Estonia Serves as a demonstration that valuable insights can be derived from their achievements - Necessitates various steps that should be taken by policymakers to support digital transformation The study acts as an initial stride towards analyzing diverse initiatives - 14 SITA SOC Ltd
Thank You Thank You Questions Questions Email: Nelisiwe.Dlamini@sita.co.za
