THE CURRENT STATE OF ELECTRONIC JUSTICE IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Abstract. The article is devoted to the analysis of the current state of electronic justice in Ukraine. It is indicated that among the mechanisms aimed at promoting access to justice was the introduction of electronic justice. The process of introducing electronic justice began with the Decision of the High Council of Justice, which approved the «Regulations on the procedure for the functioning of individual subsystems of the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System» dated August 17, 2021. The capabilities of three subsystems of the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System are described: «Electronic cabinet», «Electronic court» and the video conference subsystem. The obligation to register and use electronic cabinets by participants in the court process was considered, failure to do so leads to the immobilization or return of a person’s documents. In this regard, judicial practice was also analyzed. The positive aspects of the use of electronic judicial tools are considered, including: speed and efficiency; saving time and money; convenience for participants; accessibility for people with disabilities; transparency of information; reducing the use of paper, and therefore saving natural resources. At the same time, it is noted that all positive aspects are not unconditional, because each of them faces a potential drawback or challenge that should also be considered. The main problem is the absence of an obligation in the legislation to register an electronic cabinet for citizens who are active participants in court proceedings. Therefore, citizens do not have access to electronic documents, which requires the court to print out the case materials. The modern conditions of the development of our state have shown that technical problems in the operation of electronic systems can become a significant problem, which can lead to interruptions in the holding of meetings and submission of documents. It has been proven that in order to ensure an adequate level of information security in courts, it is necessary to regularly update databases, to change outdated equipment, and the positions of equipment maintenance should be occupied by qualified specialists.