E-File: single procedural information system for law enforcement authorities

26. July 06

The purpose of the E-File information system is to provide the parties to criminal, civil, administrative and misdemeanour proceedings with a comprehensive overview of different stages and operations of proceedings as well as decisions made. Until now law enforcement authorities have administered their procedural information separately, but the E-File will contain the entirety of the information, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the status of proceedings, operations, decisions, etc. In addition, the quality of information concerning punishment will improve.
By an order of the Government of the Republic of 29 September 2005 a committee of ministers was set up for creation and implementation of the E-File integrated procedural information system. The contact person of the Ministry of Justice is Mr. Andrus Jakobson (phone 6208176, ).

Brief overview of the E-File

During the penal law reform legislation was amended and the structure and work processes of agencies were changed. However, the IT support was not developed to the same level of detail: since there are too many information systems they do not function effectively together or support the new process of work organisation. Moreover, development and maintenance of many different systems requires more and more funds.

To solve this problem the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, the Police Board and AS PriceWaterhouseCoopers drew up a detailed Analysis of the Information Architecture and Technology in Law Enforcement by 15 February 2005 ()

This analysis, which among other things contains the concept of a digital file, will be submitted to the Government of the Republic by the Ministry of Justice for approval by a minuted decision. According to the decision, an expert committee will be made. The committee will annually draw up an action plan for developing and implementing the E-File. Based on the action plan the committee will make proposals for planning budget funds for the state budget. Also, the committee will approve technological standards and prepare connection of other law enforcement information systems to the E-File procedural information system.

Expert committee

The committee will be chaired by a representative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication who is the coordinator of development of the state's information systems. The committee will comprise representatives of the Ministries of Justice, Finance and the Interior.

The committee is expected to work three years. By the end of 2007 the chairman of the committee will submit to the Government of the Republic the final report on the results of the work of the committee. In the meantime the committee will report on its work results four times a year.

 Agencies connected to the E-File

Upon application of the E-File, the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Finance, Defence and the Environment and the agencies in their area of government will be connected to it and have to take the following operations into account:

• launch of the digital file;
• perfection of work processes;
• coordinated development and perfection of information systems;
• improvement of the usability and availability of software and hardware systems;
• training users.

 
Expenses

All parties to proceedings have to take the costs of realisation of the E-File concept into account. Other ministries or agencies must plan resources for binding themselves to the established E-File system and, first of all, avoid any duplicate development, because most of the developed system will be given to all agencies/developers as a ready-made independent user interface or, where necessary, as a service that can be connected to their information system.