The CCJE Working Group met on 29-31 March 2023 in Paris to discuss the structure of the CCJE Opinion No. 26 (2023) entitled “Moving forward: use of technology in the judiciary”. 

This Opinion will be an update of the CCJE Opinion No. 14 (2011) on justice and information technologies (IT) and, at the same time, it will go more in detail as regards securing the judicial independence in the context of technologies used in the judicial systems, including electronic files and proceedings, videoconferences, data tools, automated systems or processes for use in court proceedings and other relevant technologies. The introduction and use of such technologies should go in parallel with maintaining the fundamental principles of the rule of law and judicial independence and impartiality.

The Opinion will underline that use of technologies in the judicial system is intended to support the work of judges and parties to the judicial process and serve the overall purpose of facilitating the access to justice for the benefit of the court users.

The Working Group agreed on the final structure and will examine the draft of the Opinion No. 26 (2023) during its next meeting, scheduled to take place on 21-23 June 2023.

In the course of the meeting, the CCJE member in respect of France, Mr Valéry Turcey, organised a visit of the Working Group to the Court of Cassation of France, where the members of the Group met with the First President of the Court, Mr Christophe Soulard.