Impact
This system has transformed the vision of judicial organs from a conservative state demanding information from individuals to a modern state swiftly providing information to them so as to prevent unjust treatments and irregularities. It also increases the quality of legal services by reducing the usage of sources of budget and ensuring utmost availability of getting information, preventing red tape.
All of the objectives of the Project have been achieved as a result huge workload of staff due to answering enquires of citizens in courts has been decreased significantly. Citizens can reach every kind of information about their cases anytime and from anywhere which provides efficient judicial services. It prevents the loss of time and money, and enables better access to justice. Citizen and lawyers save from time, labour force and expenses which are needed to go courthouses for obtaining information about the processes of their files. It becomes very easy for lawyers and citizens to access their case information via mobile phones which provides a substantial save in working hours of the judicial staff.
The SMS information system provides a perfect legal protection and alarm system for citizens enabling them learning proceedings first hand. Citizens are given the possibility to check their cases without time and location restrictions ensuring full transparency in legal proceedings. It also accelerates the judicial processes. The system has decreased administrative and judicial burden so to enable workload practitioners to focus on their other priorities. It seems fairly clear that implementation of SMS information system has reduced the administrative and communications costs which would otherwise be done in a manual system. With this system, expenses of bureaucracy and postal costs are removed. After the system was put into practice which brings easiness to lawyers and citizens, it is not necessary to go to courthouses to get information about the phase of the case or to learn the date of the hearing and also they no longer have to pay travel costs to go to remote courts.
Hence use of this system makes the justice system more efficient and transparent, engendering greater public trust and confidence in the judiciary and respect for the rule of law. Once a file or a claim is initiated by electronic means or any change occurs in the files within UYAP system, it directly falls into citizen’s and lawyer’s mobile phone and after that point it is so difficult to be neglected. Delivery of information through the use of SMS will facilitate and accelerate the access to courts as required by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
It also facilitates better access to justice for the disabled people, allowing them to learn about their cases without need to go to courts. In addition SMS information system has increased the awareness and the knowledge of the citizens making them strong in relations with their advocates and confident before courts. This may contribute to the quality of the judiciary. In addition, SMS information system works as a perfect alarming service, enabling citizen to take precautions without delay in case their ID is stolen, used and as a result they became a culprit.
As a conclusion; global warming is considered one of the biggest threats for the humans in recent decades. SMS service is known to be effective in reducing CO2 emissions by helping to minimize the movement of people and goods and the use of paper and other office supplies.
Track record of sharing
Turkish Project team joins all e-Justice Programme events and make some visits to share this good practice and exchange of experience with European and Mediterranean region. Turkish team have been also invited to some countries to share its invaluable experience throughout its neighbours. For instance, there has been initiated a cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina to transfer the knowledge of Turkey (http://www.adalet.gov.tr/english/news/2009/news0/news.html). In all these visits because of its capacity and capability SMS information system has been appreciated by the visitors.
In addition SMS information system will be integrated with the other e-government implementations of other state departments so that citizens can be informed instantly about all other public services. SMS information system will also be integrated with the security forces’ electronic system. When a wanted person come to the hospitals, pharmacies, airports and railway ports and make any transaction with their system, the nearest police station will be alarmed by SMS and show the location of person. In the appeal process of court decisions, the performance of judges are assessed by high court and given marks that is important for the promotion of them. These assessment marks will be sent to judges’ mobile phone by SMS. The relatives of the prisoners will be informed about the health conditions of them and the dates of visit or any kind of event related to them. Overseas operator connections will be established in order to promote this system in abroad. Criminal records and birth registration needed to take up a public employment will be sent to citizen’s mobile phone. As it is completed integration works with the Turkish telecom, it will be sent to SMS to landline phones.The possibility of success in any kind of potential trial which will be calculated by specific software will be sent to the citizens when they request by SMS in order to prevent unnecessary proceedings
Lessons learnt
The most important lesson to be learned is how effecitive use of mobile technologies reduced the administrative and communication costs, enhance the effectiveness of justice and augments the transparency. The new technological developments in the world lead to new changes in the way of e-government, provide mobile services to citizens and businesses. It is widely believed that M-government is the next inevitable direction of e-government. The number of people geting access to information by mobile phones and mobile internet connection is increasing rapidly. The mobile Access to information - anywhere any time – is becoming a daily routiene, and the governments will have to change their IT policies according to this demand . SMS information system enables integrated and flexible data communication and exchange mechanism between citizens and government units in the legal sector for better access to justice. The success of SMS information system in Turkey is a very good example of this evolution. SMS information system applications has become a key method for reaching citizens living in remote areas and promoting exchange of communications. Ability of reaching people living in rural areas in which Turkey has many may be considered as an important feature of the system.
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