Jurga Greičienė: development of digital technologies increases the accessibility of the justice system
Jurga Greičienė, Vice-Minister of Justice, participated in the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the Council of the EU where an extensive discussion was held on measures to contribute to the efficiency and quality of the justice system in response to the challenges of the development of innovation and digitalisation processes, and on how to harmonise aspects of insolvency law effectively. Much attention was paid for the search for new legal instruments in the context of russia's military aggression in Ukraine.
Speaking about the efficiency of the justice system in Lithuania, Ms Greičienė stressed that the accessibility of the justice system in our country is being improved through the use of digital technologies and their systematic development.
“Recently, the number of users of the Electronic Services Portal of Courts in Lithuania has been steadily growing. This interactive platform enables tracking of the course of proceedings, receipt of notifications, use of document forms, and more effective and faster communications with the court. In 2022, as many as 86% of civil and administrative cases were handled electronically. Video conferencing is also widely used in court activities and ensures the publicity of remote court hearings – the public can observe such hearings remotely,” stated Ms Greičienė.
The Vice-Minister noted that discussions are currently taking place in various formats in Lithuania on the possibility of using artificial intelligence to facilitate, speed up and improve judicial proceedings, however, the ideas, their added value and potential risks must be thoroughly assessed and proper protection of human rights and personal data must be ensured.
The Council also discussed the progress in the application of sanctions for violations of the European Union's restrictive measures, asset recovery and confiscation in the context of the military aggression in Ukraine.
According to the Vice-Minister, the threat posed by russia to European security is unprecedented, which is why both the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) in The Hague and the Register of Damage caused by the russian federation's aggression against Ukraine within the framework of the Council of Europe, are among the most important steps to ensure timely and realistic justice for Ukraine and its people.
According to Ms Greičienė, it is particularly important today to discuss the establishment of a fully-fledged international criminal tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine in order to restore confidence in international law and to bring those responsible for the crime of aggression to justice. This is why the legal and political debate may not linger on – it is important to make a step forward decisively and ensure justice for Ukraine.
In the debate on the directive aimed at harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law, Ms Greičienė stressed the importance of reducing barriers to the free movement of capital within the EU, thus contributing to the creation of an effective Capital Markets Union.
Ms Greičienė drew the attention of EU ministers that it is important to continue to work at expert level in this area and seek balanced harmonisation between EU Member States, as well as to set the minimum standard of protection that would safeguard debtors' assets and help avoid damage to creditors.
The Council conclusions on the digital empowerment of citizens to protect and enforce their fundamental rights in the digital have also been approved the agenda of the Council.
Last updated: 10-04-2024