An Assessment Of Emerging Forms Of Technological Innovations In Justice Delivery Mechanism

Abstract

This article aims to examine how technological progress and implementation have affected and been affected by the legal system. Technology has the potential to transform the justice system, increase access to justice, and de-mystify legal institutions all while assisting citizens with legal work. Opportunities for innovation in the field of justice generate a number of challenges, particularly those associated with the so-called "digital divide." Among these include worries about privacy, security, and secrecy, as well as problems with accessibility and the ethical dilemmas posed by the dehumanisation of judicial processes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of courts around the globe responded by supporting remote hearings and online case management approaches. Judicial responses to COVID-19 have been partly dependent on the court system readiness to adopt or adapt technologies. Some courts successfully transitioned judicial activities to support remote access arrangements, largely because the basic infrastructure existed to enable the transition. Despite some reservations around replacement and disruptive technologies, supportive technologies have potential to pave the way for positive developments in the justice sector.The article aims to explore, the different forms of Justice Innovation that are supportive, replacement and disruptive technologies. It also analyses the shifts during COVID-19 that included a rapid uptake in supportive and replacement technology to support remote access arrangements. Justice applications, or mobile and web- based programmes, are analysed for their function in helping people with legal chores, reshaping the justice system, increasing access to justice, and reducing the mystique surrounding the legal system.