On April 1, 2019, Open Justice launched the piloting of the newly developed E-File Module, which allows attorneys to submit claims online. Twenty attorneys from the Cahul Bar took part in the piloting process. Open Justice made significant efforts to train all attorneys and to rapidly refine the E-file Module according to their feedback.
As part of a greater court automation process, through the E-File Module, the attorneys are able not only to submit claims online but to also upload and download documents, pay state fees, and receive real-time updates about their cases. Court staff reported that the time necessary to register cases submitted through the E-File Module has significantly decreased, which brings quicker justice to Moldovan litigants.
The use of the e-File system provides a number of benefits, including:
Electronic submission of court summons 24/7 through the secure access of parties;
Signing electronically the documents attached to the case online;
Electronic submission of all case materials;
Attaching evidence and sharing electronically materials about the case, etc.
All parties in the trial can access the case online;
Payment of state fee by lawyers through the Mpay platform, including automatic attachment of payment confirmation to the case;
Receiving notifications regarding the progress of the case within the court.
The e-File system was financed from state budget sources amounting to 3.78 million lei. This system interconnection will considerably increase the speed of the first court hearing and will help save costs both within the judiciary and for the litigants.
To date, during the piloting process, the attorneys have successfully submitted 36 claims using the E-File Module, including through the mobile version of the system. All claims were accepted by the courts. The Project also submitted about 3,000 flyers and posters to the Moldovan courts that will be displayed publicly in courts to inform attorneys and court goers about the benefits of the E-File Module.
In the coming months, the Ministry of Justice will look into the possibilities of extending the implementation of the E-File Module to all Moldovan courts, so that attorneys country-wide can use this Module.
