全球智库信息集成服务系统

Courts Today Face a Wide Range of Challenges

• Members of the Courts Advisory Panel identified the major issues or problems in courts today in five key areas: case preparation, court information management, support for court hearings, facilities management, and people management.
• Among issues raised by the panel, issues of caseloads and the required amount of staff to handle them were prominent. So were concerns related to court security and emergency preparedness.
• Much of the panel cited issues with sharing information across jurisdiction boundaries and across criminal justice agencies, particularly problems with system compatibility. Data protection and the quality of the data entered in court information systems were also common concerns.
• The panel also voiced concerns about balance and fairness in the justice system — because the resources available to the state have the potential to overmatch the resources that all but the wealthiest individuals could use in their own defenses. Issues of how to support pro se litigants also were raised.

Innovation Needs for the Court System Fall into Eight Broad Categories

• Leverage opportunities for greater court efficiency while ensuring that technology serves justice goals.
• Improve security and emergency preparedness.
• Improve quality and utilization of shared data in the justice system.
• Strengthen analysis and use of data.
• Address concerns in maintaining and protecting the court record.
• Address basic technology shortfalls in today's courts.
• Improve court technology acquisition processes.
• Use technology for notification and public communication.