Britain unveiled a digitized criminal justice system to allow its courts to handle criminal cases digitally from the moment a crime is committed, British
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced Friday.
The new scheme will also allow police officers to capture evidence digitally at the scene of a crime, take statements and upload digital case information via mobile devices without having to return to the police station.
This "Digital Business Model" is designed to help every magistrate's court in England and Wales operate completely digitally, with increased use of remote video links, digitized legal files and Wi-Fi connections, the ministry said.
"I want to see a Criminal Justice System where information is captured once by a police officer responding to a crime and then flows through the system to the court stage without duplication or reworking," British Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green said.
Last month, Britain announced a 375-million-pound investment to "modernize" nearly 3,000 courtrooms in the country between 2015 and 2020, seeking to reduce financial costs and deliver better judicial services in the digital age.
The funding will help ensure all criminal courts can operate completely digitally by July 2016, according to the MoJ.
The new model will link together the different agencies in the country's criminal justice system, including the Police, HM Courts & Tribunal Service and Crown Prosecution Service.
It also include plans for defendants in custody to appear in court via "prison to court" video links for pre-trial hearings, where appropriate, reducing transport costs and speeding up the justice process.
Criminal prosecutors and defense lawyers in magistrates' courts will also work digitally, presenting cases via mobile digital devices instead of relying on bundles of paper files, the ministry said.