Chief justice David Maraga on Wednesday officially launched e-filing which will see Nairobi courts go digital.
Under the new electronic system, all lawyers, police, DPP and members of the public are required to register themselves through a portal to log into the Judiciary system.
The portal is on https://efiling.court.go.ke.
After logging in, one is expected to upload documents and also assess court fees.
Subsequently, one has to submit the files to the registry online for the matter to be filed and placed before a judge for hearing.
During the launch, the chief registrar Anne Amadi said the journey to digitise court faced challenges including resistance from within and without and thin resources among others.
Meanwhile, Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure the Judiciary is properly funded.
He further requested that a Bill be put in place to develop a proper framework for e-filing.
Havi said the Bill will shield the digital courts from abuse."Judges have been subject of abuse through social media and soon doctored judgments might appear in social media," he said.
Speaking during the launch of e-filing, Havi said all attempts in the past have failed, but Covid-19 has pushed stakeholders to embrace digitisation of courts.
So far, 170 advocates have filed their cases via the e-filing portal.
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji lauded the digitisation of the court system, saying it will lead to reduced corruption.
"Benefits of e-filing will lead to reduced corruption and enhance transparency," he said.
His office will now file charge sheets and disclose witness statements via e-filing.
Haji said there's need for people to adopt quickly to digital change.
He urged all stakeholders to take collective responsibility to ensure e-filing works.
