Bermuda?s courts are to be hauled into the technological age, in a move the Chief Justice says will herald a ?sea change? for the justice system

Richard Ground said work is being carried out on a major IT project that will link the Island?s courtrooms and revamp the case management process.

He said the changes will cut court delays and added: ?It will be painful, as all big IT projects are, but it?s very necessary.

?It?s a major exercise, but we are well down the road on it.?

Currently, record-keeping at the higher courts is not computerised.

When staff need information about a case they reach for a paper file. Case information at Magistrates? Court is computerised, however, this system needs upgrading.

Mr. Ground said the changes will mean court staff will no longer have to ?carry around dog-eared paper files? containing information about defendants, charges and court dates.

All the information they need will be on a computer database and case management will be improved, he added.

He said the new system should help speed up trials and improve the listing procedure as staff will be able to track and manage thousands of pending criminal and civil cases.

Mr. Ground said the volume of civil cases means that some slip through the net.

?If nothing happens on a civil case for six months, at the moment, we have no means of telling that. Cases are party driven.

?Under the new system we will be able to set parameters and track and instantly find cases that have had no action taken on them.?

He said the new system will create a ?huge sea change?, but admitted that getting there will be an ?enormous task? with mountains of data having to be manually inputted.

The IT project has already gone out to tender. Now legal officials are in the final stages of selecting a computer company to carry out the high-tech overhaul.

Work is expected to start in about six months, the Chief Justice estimated, with the new system pencilled in to be up and running by the start of 2008.

The computerisation of all court processes, linking Magistrates with the Supreme Court in the process, was recommended in a recent judicial review.