BELMOPAN, Thurs. Feb. 25, 2021– On Thursday of last week, the Attorney General, Magali Marin Young, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions, to cooperate on a digital transformation of our courts. The initiative was made possible through a partnership between the Government of Belize, the Belize Judiciary, and APEX.
A government press release stated, “The agreement includes provision for immediate implementation of e-filing for the courts and a digital case management system for the Court of Appeals.” Digital systems to be implemented include electronic filing and case management systems, an online helpdesk, and training for the utilization of the e-filing system.
These new systems are expected to improve legal services and, “establish more effective systems for monitoring, analyzing and reporting on case trends.”
During her remarks the Attorney General stated, “The digital innovation in Belize’s court system aims to enable people in Belize to access justice in a more efficient and timely manner. We are pleased that we will be able to use the Curia system developed by APEX in our courts.”
The Curia Court Management Suite is a product of APEX and is a tool created to manage the operation of courts using technology. The Caribbean Court of Justice currently utilizes this tool as well.
The government release further states, “Both the Acting Chief Justice of Belize, Hon. Michelle Arana, and the Acting President of the Court of Appeal of Belize, Hon. Minnet Hafiz-Bertram, have embraced this initiative to digitize their respective courts.”
In 2016 APEX was established by the CCJ to support digital transformation in courts throughout the region.