WIREDGOV

Blog by: Paul Sachs, Founder & Chief Technology Officer, CaseLines, 27 June 2019.

On the face of it, you could argue a legal evidence management platform only digitises a paper-based process. There’s nothing wrong with that of course.  Digitising is cost effective, takes the stress & risk out of bundling and it’s good for the environment.  Our internal data shows that 100m pages stored on CaseLines is equivalent to 72,000 trees. It adds up.

Since the UK implemented CaseLines, one of the positive results has been that the number of Crown Court hearings has reduced by 50%.  This is because digital evidence is available much more quickly than paper evidence was, so legal professionals can see the case earlier.  Another really interesting thing we are seeing as a result of this has been more early guilty pleas.  Earlier access to evidence gives the defence more time with it and more time to advise appropriately.  Of course, the converse is also true; if you’re innocent, you have more time to prepare your case.  This could have a huge impact on the speed & quality of justice.

Digital justice also speeds up hearings, so solicitors spend less time in court. This reduces the number of adjournments, therefore meaning a lower number of hearings per case. One customer estimated a cost reduction of £70 per hearing, equating to a direct cost saving of over £60,000 in their first year using a digital justice system.

Then there’s hidden costs you don’t consider. Digital systems ensure there is no way evidence can be lost or tampered with. In many jurisdictions, key evidence often goes missing, resulting in cases being dismissed, time being wasted and guilty people walking free.  Cutting the risk of losing or misplacing files means protecting the integrity and the time of the institutions that use it.