Synergy eCase Archives -

Rwanda Wins Commonwealth Access to Justice Innovation Awards

Tatev Gyurjyan — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:03:50 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Rwanda has been honored with the inaugural Commonwealth Access to Justice Innovation Awards. The award recognizes Rwanda’s exemplary efforts in enhancing access to legal services for vulnerable populations through two pioneering initiatives: Abunzi (Mediators) Committee Project and the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS).

These innovative projects have contributed to Rwanda’s pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.3, which aims to ensure equal justice for all. The IECMS, launched in 2016, has revolutionized the judicial process by automating procedures and enabling efficient information sharing among institutions, thereby accelerating the delivery of justice.

The awards were presented to Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, by Patricia Scotland, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, during the 2024 Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting (CLMM) held in Zanzibar from March 4-8, 2024.

Dr. Ugirashebuja shared his thoughts on the importance of innovation in the realm of justice. He emphasized the goal of ensuring widespread access to justice and the provision of appropriate means for resolving disputes. He acknowledged the instrumental role of technology in achieving these objectives, noting that the receipt of the award was a welcome acknowledgment of their efforts and success in this domain.

Synergy strongly appreciates the long-term partnership with the Ministry of Justice of Rwanda. This award marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts to enhance access to justice.

Synergy International Systems, Inc. (“Synergy”) is a software development and consulting tech company built on hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. Founded in 1997, we have worked in more than 80 countries to help organizations and governments to become more data driven. We are a privately held, 200+ person company headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area, USA, with a Development and Global Learning Center in Armenia, and offices in the Netherlands and Rwanda. Synergy has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 to certify its Information Security and Quality Management Systems (ISMS and QMS).

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Re-Engineering IECMS in Papua New Guinea

Tatev Gyurjyan — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:41:58 +0000

The National Judicial Staff Services (NJSS) of Papua New Guinea (PNG), one of Synergy’s trusted clients, commissioned Synergy to re-engineer their Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) based on Synergy’s latest technology – IDM 8.0 platform.

In 2018, Synergy was contracted to create IECMS for the digitalization of civil cases of the National Court and the Supreme Court of PNG. The development of the IECMS was completed in 2019, and the system went live right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world when different jurisdictions had to go digital. The IECMS has significantly modernized court operations, integrating court operations and data management into a single and coordinated system with a user-friendly interface. The IECMS has digitalized and standardized the paper-based case records and enabled the full reproduction of cases, improving the quality of court case information.

Over the last 1.5 years, Synergy has engaged in ongoing discussions with the NJSS of PNG to collaboratively explore opportunities for the IECMS re-engineering. Throughout this extensive period of collaboration, Synergy has supported and guided the NJSS in refining and shaping the system requirements. This joint effort has been aimed at achieving an optimal and highly efficient solution that aligns seamlessly with the unique needs and aspirations of the client. This enduring partnership between Synergy and the Judiciary of PNG stands as a testament to our shared commitment to innovation, efficiency, and the advancement of technological solutions within the judicial landscape.

The re-engineered IECMS will allow the NJSS to make the best use of Synergy’s latest low-code technology, which will not only enable the use of the low-code builders of IDM 8.0, but also facilitate more effective maintenance of the system. The IECMS is envisioned to have a built-in virtual court capability, judgement execution module, and performance management module among other additions.

Synergy International Systems, Inc. (“Synergy”) is a software development and consulting tech company built on hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. Founded in 1997, we have worked in more than 80 countries to help organizations and governments to become more data-driven. We are a privately held, 200+ person company headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area, USA, with a Development and Global Learning Center in Armenia, and offices in the Netherlands and Rwanda. Synergy has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 to certify its Information Security and Quality Management Systems (ISMS and QMS).

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Transforming the Justice System in Sao Tome and Principe with Synergy

Ani Gevorgyan — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:35:44 +0000

The National Strategy for Digital Governance in Sao Tomé and Principe (STP) calls for several digital transformation initiatives aimed at boosting the provision of digital services. One of those initiatives is to digitalize the country’s justice system.

To that end, in December 2022, the Government of STP, with the support of the UNDP Office to STP, awarded a contract to Synergy International Systems to implement an Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) for the justice system. The ICMS will be rolled out in phases, with the first phase covering the entire cycle of criminal proceedings across Police, Prosecution, Judiciary, and Prison in the city of Sao Tome, and at the later stage to be expanded to the whole country. This gradual approach will ensure a smooth transition to fully digitalized processes of administering justice.

In January 2023, Synergy’s system analysts Karine Gevorgyan and Sergey Barseghyan traveled to STP to conduct a needs assessment and evaluate the resources and capabilities required to ensure the successful operation of the ICMS.

As part of the visit, they met with the key stakeholders of the criminal justice system, including the Ministry of Justice, Internal Administration and Human Rights, Supreme Court of Justice, Court of First Instance, Public Ministry, Ministry of Defense and Internal Administration, Prison Services and Social Reinsertion, Judiciary Police, National Police, Lawyers of Organization of STP, and the National Assembly.

The ICMS will be Synergy’s first e-justice project in a Portuguese-speaking country and the first implementation of Synergy’s eCase solution in a civil law jurisdiction.

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Labour and Administrative Courts in Zimbabwe Go Digital

Ani Gevorgyan — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:49:52 +0000

On February 1st, 2023, the second phase of the Zimbabwe Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) was piloted in the Labour and Administrative Courts of Zimbabwe. Henceforth, the filing of the applications, review and case processing including hearings at the two judicial institutions will be fully done electronically.

It will also allow both the general public and legal professionals to obtain court rulings, monitor the progression of cases through the system, submit case-related documents electronically, and make payments for court fees online.

Prior to the official launch, Synergy eJustice team delivered training to the court staff and other system users to familiarize them with the new system.

The second phase was built on the success of the initial pilot of IECMS in May 2022 that covered the digitalization of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and the Commercial Division of the High Court of the country.

It is expected to pave the way for a nationwide roll-out of the system by the end of 2023, with the goal of transforming the entire legal system in Zimbabwe, improve the efficiency and transparency and enhance access to justice for citizens.

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Court Performance Management in Rwanda: Part 2

Parandzem Avagyan — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:49:08 +0000

Part 1 of this article, published originally in The Court Administrator of the International Association for Court Administration, introduced an approach focused on those served by courts instead of those who “run” them – judicial officers, court administrators, and other officials. It discussed the role of technology in achieving this focus in general terms.

In Part 2, we focus on the functionality of Rwanda’s Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), the Judiciary Performance Management (JPMS), and the mechanics of converting data tracking, performance measurement and management to service delivery outcomes in Rwanda. We will describe how technology enables daily improvements in service delivery to achieve people-centered justice.

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Court Performance Management in Rwanda: Leading the Way to People-Centered Justice

Parandzem Avagyan — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 09:07:54 +0000

In Part 1 of this series, the authors discuss people-centred justice focusing on those served by courts instead of those who “run” them – judicial officers, court administrators, and other officials. This is the first of a two-part article that discusses the role of technology in achieving this focus, published originally in The Court Administrator of the International Association for Court Administration.

What is people-centred justice?

People-centred justice is an approach to international justice that shifts the focus from court rules, procedures, and processes to a results-based focus placing people, families, and communities at the centre of justice service delivery. This requires court administrators to go beyond identifying operational improvements that work best for them, and identify what strategies, activities, and processes produce the best results for the people they serve.

There is today no longer much doubt whether good measures and indicators of court performance can help achieve worthy ends. The question is whose vision of justice and court excellence they advance. Performance standards and measures for courts are meaningless if they are detached from the people they are intended to represent. Though they may be grounded in historical understanding, democratic vision, and civic ideals, government performance measures are traditionally developed from the perspectives of government managers, not of citizens, and the two perspectives may differ greatly.

How Rwanda achieves this?

Rwanda is a regional leader in people-centered justice, with a strong and developing culture of Performance Measurement and Management. This has been achieved through a strategic planning process based on country vision, international standards, and the expectations of the Rwandan people. It has been enabled through the implementation of advanced technology for data collection, analysis, and reporting, as well as a learning culture that quickly adapts and applies lessons learned.

In the article, the authors identify key approaches, based on their experience in Rwanda and elsewhere, that will align the practice of court performance measurement and management with the values and principles of people-centred justice.

Read the article without signing up. Learn more about adapting to people-centred justice through technology improvement.

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Synergy Is Gearing Up For CMJA Conference 2022

Anna Sargsyan — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 12:03:23 +0000

In early September, Synergy will meet justice experts, industry partners, peers, and judiciary officials at the CMJA 19th Triennial Conference that will take place on September 4-9 in Accra, Ghana.

The conference will welcome visitors from around the world this year, with the theme of ‘Access to Justice in a Modern World’. It offers an opportunity for judges and magistrates to share experiences, knowledge and innovations in dealing with the present challenges.

Africa has always been an important market for Synergy. And it comes as no surprise that we will use this opportunity to showcase Synergy eCase, its enhanced digital justice offering.

Synergy eCase enables justice institutions to modernize case record management, improve case processing and expand citizen access to justice. This results in promoting public trust in the justice system. It offers a rapidly customizable toolkit designed to support case filing and administration, document management, case scheduling and tracking through workflow management and case data analysis.

Later in October, Synergy will also attend the International Association for Court Administration Helsinki Conference on October 17-20, 2022 where we will discuss the people-centred justice in the new normal.

Email us at mail@synisys.com to schedule a meeting!

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Synergy Adds Four New Projects To Its Portfolio

Anna Sargsyan — Thu, 26 May 2022 11:30:00 +0000

Synergy Launches Work on Forensic Case Management System in Moldova

In April 2022, Synergy began work on the design and development of a Forensic Case Management System (FCMS) for the national forensic institutions in the Republic of Moldova, including the National Centre for Judicial Expertise, Police Forensic Centre and Centre of Legal Medicine. The work is carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Electronic Governance Agency, and Information Technology and Cyber Security Service.

The system will digitize the business processes of the forensic institutions, helping to improve the record-keeping process and ensure proper custody of forensic evidence. Functionally, the system will allow the forensic institution’s key personnel to digitally open an evidence case, enter relevant information about the evidence (including documents and photos) in the case file, and distribute the case for cross-verification and acceptance.

Following the inception mission to Chisinau, Moldova, Synergy is currently in the system design phase, working in tandem with the Ministry of Justice and UNDP Moldova. Synergy has also partnered with Enterprise Business Solutions, a Moldovan technology firm, to help provide local implementation support to the project.

The activity is implemented within the “Strengthening Efficiency and Access to Justice in Moldova” Project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the financial support of Sweden.

The objective of the A2J Project is to contribute to increased efficiency of justice services and to improved access to justice for men and women, in particular from vulnerable and marginalized groups through enhanced capacities of forensic institutions to provide qualitative justice services, strengthened capacities of the justice sector actors to provide a coordinated response to men’s and women’s justice needs, as well as a strengthened civil society able to claim the respect of rights and engage in a constructive dialogue with the justice chain actors at the local level.

Synergy eCase solutions used worldwide

Synergy Begins Work on National eCase System in Ethiopia

Synergy has started work on the design and development of an Integrated Case Management Information System (iCMIS) and Electronic Records Management System (eRMS) for the Federal Courts of Ethiopia. The project is being executed under the USAID/Ethiopia Feteh (Justice) Activity, with prime implementing partner Millennium DPI. The Feteh Activity has the goal of building the capacity of Federal and Regional Supreme Courts’ personnel to implement judicial reforms consistent with international human rights standards and to introduce international best practice systems to improve court administration and case management.

The iCMIS and eRMS will be co-designed and developed over the next several months and piloted in the Supreme Court and seven High Courts, before a full national federal court rollout by the end of 2023.

Following the successful kick-off meeting with all key project stakeholders, including Millennium DPI (Feteh Activity Prime Contractor), Perago Systems (Synergy’s local partner), Digifinance (Feteh Activity Subcontractor), and the Federal Courts of Ethiopia, the Synergy team travelled to Addis Ababa for the inception mission which was used as an opportunity to refine the scope and priorities of the project.

Synergy Digitalizes the Jail System in Jamaica

Synergy has been awarded a contract to implement a Jail Management System (JMS) for the Government of Jamaica. The JMS is supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and will support the Department of Correctional Services under the Ministry of National Security. Synergy has partnered with PricewaterhouseCoopers who will provide local project administration, systems analysis and change management.

This project fits within the Ministry of National Security’s Five-Pillar Strategy for Crime Prevention and Citizen Security. The JMS will support the overall mission of DCS to contribute to a better society by effectively securing and transforming offenders for successful reintegration, thus helping Jamaica to serve as the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Correctional Management. The JMS will provide a single source of truth to 17 probation offices, 7 adult correctional centres, and 4 juvenile centres.

MonitoringDesigning Systems to Support Judicial Reform for the European Court of Human Rights in Armenia

Synergy will design and develop the Integrated Office Management (IOM) system for the Office The Representative of the Republic of Armenia. The project aims to support Armenia in the execution of ECtHR judgments in which violations of Article 6 of the Convention are established. The major groups of such judgments include improvement of access to justice, prevention of the non-execution or delayed execution of judgments of national courts, and development of remedies concerning excessive length of judicial proceedings.

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Zimbabwe Launches The Integrated Electronic Case Management System

Anna Sargsyan — Thu, 12 May 2022 10:20:00 +0000

On May 6, 2022, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially commissioned and launched the newly Integrated Electronic Case Management System (ZimIECMS), a solution built from Synergy’s eCase product for Zimbabwe. This historic event has pathed the way for Zimbabwe to take a step into the future. Synergy has been working closely with the Judicial Service Commission of Zimbabwe to roll out the system, with various agencies eagerly awaiting this launch. The Synergy team was honored to be present at the inauguration ceremony.

Back in 2021, Chief Justice of Zimbabwe Luke Malaba who had led the Zimbabwean delegation to Armenia said this was “transforming the court system and radically moving Zimbabwe forward with digitalization and electronically filed cases.”

This outlook has been realized with a software solution that integrates the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Commercial Court, High Court, Labor Court, Administrative Court, Magistrates Court, Master of High Court and Sheriff of the High Court under a united structure, all interconnected with Synergy’s software. The solution helps automate and track the entire case lifecycle, from initial filing through to disposition and appeal.

“I commend Synergy on their professionalism and dedication to the success of this project” said Chief Justice Malaba during his speech on the launch day.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa also drew attention to the importance of the event in his speech, saying, “this is a significant development for our nation. […] the system must enhance transparency and accountability by bringing to an end the era where court files and documents would disappear because of corruption.”

Dr. Ashot Hovanesian, CEO of Synergy International Systems, Inc. has been clear in his view “it’s time for more organizations and governments to take the initiative on transformational projects that can make a lasting impact on the communities they serve,” adding that “we will keep delivering intelligent solutions to support their efforts.”

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Judiciary Of Uganda Commissions The Electronic Court Case Management Information System

Anna Sargsyan — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 16:40:00 +0000

In October 2021, the Judiciary of Uganda officially commissioned the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (EECMIS), a solution built from Synergy’s eCase product.

From 2019-2021, Synergy has been working to design, develop, and roll-out the system in close collaboration with the Judiciary. The system digitizes all aspects of case management, starting at registration, proceeding through case assignment, hearing, and judgement, and provides a full suite of analytical features and online auction.

Synergy’s Vice President Adam Watson attended the launch of the EECMIS. The system will also reduce contact between the litigating public and court staff, thus supporting an independent judiciary and justice sector. Starting in early 2022, the system will be piloted in 18 courts around the country including the Magistrates Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo hosted the official commissioning of the EECMIS and said at the launch event:

“This (ECCMIS) will definitely provide a major building block to another e-government service in Uganda and particularly to the administration of the justice sector and will go a long way in enhancing the delivery of justice and addressing the challenges of case backlog.”

Synergy and local partner Sybyl Limited are providing ongoing training services to support the Judiciary of Uganda during the system roll-out. The EECMIS is under a technical support contract through 2025. For more information about Synergy eCase and its impact, please read: Onli ne Access to Justice: How Rwanda Uses Digital Tools to Mitigate Covid-19 Challenges

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