KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s judiciary is undergoing a digital transformation with the implementation of the e-Kehakiman system, enhancing case management efficiency while expanding public access to justice.
Director of the e-Kehakiman division, Harmi Thamri Mohamad @ Shaharudin, said the digital platform was part of a transformation initiative aimed at addressing the increasing number of court cases, which had contributed to delays in case disposal.
He was quoted by Bernama as saying the e-Kehakiman system, introduced by the judiciary in 2011, comprises of the Case Management System (CMS), which manages attendance registration and case calling in court, the e-Filing System (eFS) and the e-Kehakiman portal.
The e-Filing system is accessible only to lawyers and government agencies, while the CMS is used by court users like judges, judicial officers and court staff, he added.
“The e-Filing system is also equipped with the e-Review module, a digital platform that allows users to attend civil proceedings online. Before this module was introduced, lawyers and officers from government agencies were required to be physically present in court for every scheduled proceeding, including civil case management sessions,” he said.
Following its implementation, Harmi Thamri said congestion at court counters has been reduced, with physical court proceedings now largely limited to criminal cases and full civil trials. Eligible parties can participate in proceedings remotely too, he added.
According to him, the reduced physical presence by lawyers, parties involved and the public has also contributed to a more focused and efficient courtroom environment. With the system in place, he said document reviews, file searches, court minutes searches and cause lists can now be conducted online.
“During trials, the court and involved parties can refer to digital copies of filed documents without having to examine physical documents,” he said.
Harmi Thamri noted that prior to the system’s implementation, all document filings had to be done manually at court registry counters, a process prone to loss of or damaged documents.
Lawyer Ahmad Shamil Azad said the e-Kehakiman system has made matters easier for legal practitioners, particularly for brief hearings that do not require physical attendance.
“Evidence is also stored more securely as documents are scanned and uploaded directly into the system,” he said.
Another lawyer, Putera Muhammad Nor Hashim, said the system reduces the need for handling multiple physical forms, which made matters much faster.
