The Supreme Court of Barbados is embracing the virtual world as it seeks to move to a paperless operation and provide greater access for members of the public.
Through the Court???s new website, persons will be able to check the progress of criminal and civil cases, research decided cases in the Court of Appeal and the High Court, and obtain information regarding the island???s judicial system, Judges, Magistrates and Registry.
Chief Justice, Sir Marston Gibson, said the website was still in its final stages of development, but noted that the temporary site could be accessed via www.development.website.bb/2014/supremecourt.
He also encouraged members of the public to contact the Supreme Court of Barbados at 434-9970 and alert officials of any difficulties encountered in navigating the website.
Speaking during a soft launch of the website recently, Sir Marston stated: ???Like life itself, we consider this new website as a work in progress. There will be much rethinking and repositioning as we seek to make the website both a portal into our operation, as well as a modern tool improving the way we do business in a postmodern, virtual world.
???In addition, the Chief Justice noted that there were also plans to move the court system to a paperless operation due to the high cost of paper and its environmental impact, and the dwindling amount of storage space left to house paper records.???In the very near future, the e-filing of documents in the courts will become a reality, and the new website facilitates all those new developments,??? he pointed out.
Sir Marston explained that when he first assumed office in 2011, he recognised the old website was ???inadequate in appearance and functionality???, and it was criticised for not being user-friendly.As a result, he said that a Website Committee was established to oversee the construction of the new website, which was built by a technical team from websites.bb.
julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb