United States and Barbados partner to improve court system efficiency

he United States government, in collaboration with the Barbados judiciary, is pleased to announce the launch of the pilot Court Case Management System.

Developed and implemented by the National Center for State Courts, this innovative system marks a significant step forward in modernizing Barbados’s judicial administration and enhancing regional security.

This cooperative effort between the governments of the United States and Barbados establishes an electronic case management system in the Magistrates’ Courts in Barbados that will align Barbados with international and regional best practices and increase the ability of its courts to meet future challenges.

Transitioning to an electronic case management system will increase the effectiveness of court staff in processing their workloads.  Moving away from paper-based case management and into the digital age will ensure courts are able to take action more quickly.

On March 21, US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Roger Nyhus and Chief Justice of Barbados Sir Patterson Cheltenham officially unveiled the Court Case Management System pilot at a launch ceremony at the Supreme Court of Barbados.

They were joined by National Center for State Courts Vice President Jeffrey Apperson.  “The United States is committed to best practices in the delivery of justice,” said Nyhus.

“By leveraging technology to automate document production, improve processes, and facilitate data sharing, the Court Case Management System will empower judges and court staff in Barbados to effectively manage cases and reduce backlogs.”

The new system will monitor and schedule cases in real-time so that initiation, progress, appearance calendars, outcomes, and archives are accessible to all affected and interested parties in a timely and consistent manner.  The system’s accessibility will also bolster government transparency and improve public trust in judicial institutions.  In addition to funding the software development and its installation, the US government has provided technical support, case management training, and the development of an e-filing system as part of the project.

Chief Justice Cheltenham expressed gratitude at the project launch.  He stated, “the Magistrates’ Court is usually the first place that a citizen is likely to interact with the justice system. Like any service provider, there are times when you have to revamp your system and [the project launch] signals that we are all ready to interact in a more modern way.”

The Chief Justice thanked the US government and NCSC for the provision of software engineers and remarked that success meant they would have created a more efficient alternative.

The project was supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.