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Video conferencing in court proceedings and judicial management

Project completed

The project shall make court proceedings faster, cheaper, safer, more comfortable and environment saving by enabling parties to attend court hearings over video conferencing. Therefore, 15 courtrooms and courthouse locations, 5 police arrest houses and 2 prosecutors’ offices will be equipped with video conferencing facilities.
 

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Estonia
Enhanced security and safety
Modernisation of the Judiciary
01.01.2012 - 30.09.2013
 CHF  550’000

Note: the texts under all the headings, with the exception of 'Results achieved', describe the situation before the start of the project.

The project in brief
Background

In Estonia, yearly costs for convoying about 7500 internees to court houses for hearings are very expensive. Furthermore the state is paying travelling expenses to prosecutors, attorneys, forensic experts and witnesses from abroad participating in court hearings. These convoying and travel costs make court hearings slow and have negative impacts with regard to cost efficiency, safety and environment protection. Thus, since 2005 Estonia started to use video conference facilities in courts to solve this problem. So far, 5 courtrooms out of 120, 4 prisons out of 5 and 3 prosecutors’ offices out of 18 are equipped with video conference systems.
Objectives

The project shall make court proceedings faster, cheaper, safer, more comfortable and environment saving by enabling parties to attend court hearings over video conferencing and thus to reduce convoying and travelling costs. In the frame of the project 22 further locations will be provided with video conference equipment which will enhance the public safety and save yearly around 300 000 CHF.
Target groups

Centre of Registers and Information Systems; prosecutors, attorneys, forensic experts and witnesses from abroad; Estonian society
Activities

Within the project, video conference equipment such as cameras, software and video conference boxes will be procured, provided and installed. In addition, Estonia is financing the preparation of rooms for the instalment and training courses for users by own contribution.
Results

Achieved results:  

  • Video conferencing equipment such as cameras, software and video conference boxes installed in 35 locations and 2 persons in each location trained in their use
  • Court hearings proceed faster and the transportation costs have decreased. Persons under the witness protection system are safer. International information exchange happens faster
  • Average estimated time limit of court proceedings in civil matters has decreased from 197 days to 168 days
  • Average estimated time limit of court proceedings in criminal matters has decreased from 426 days to 330 days
  • Average estimated time limit of court proceedings in misdemeanour matters has decreased from 133 days to 62 days
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss Contribution to the enlarged EU
Project partners Contract partner
Foreign state institution
  • National State Institute North


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    550’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    550’000
Project phases

Phase 1 01.01.2012 - 30.09.2013   (Completed)

  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Unallocated / Unspecified
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Sectors not specified
    Cross-cutting topics The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
    Aid Type Enlargement contribution
    Project number

    7F07751

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Last update 25.10.2022