The ‘court in a smart phone’ legislation got a go-ahead from Ukraine’s parliament on June 1 getting support of 276 MPs. The legislation is set to come in force within 6 months.

Here is what it means for Ukrainian judiciary system

The policy introduces a digital system of pre-trial investigation that makes it possible to collect, store and process data on criminal cases, linking it to the unified register of pre-trial investigations and system of court proceedings.

 

It also updates Ukraine’s Criminal Code in connection to operations of a digitalized pre-trial investigation system that becomes integrated with the existent digital platforms and is set to provide access to its materials.

Pre-trial materials will get a digital format with electronic signatures now getting a legal standing.

The ‘court in a smart phone’ is part of a wider ‘digitalization’ campaign introduced by Volodymyr Zelensky.

‘Similar to state services in a smart phone, we are striving to and will realize ‘court in a smart phone’. Most of bureaucratic procedures will go online to speed up trial proceedins, minimize corruption and opportunities for abuse [of power],’ said Zelensky in his March statement.