On February 13, 2014, with the stated objectives to ensure transparency in the justice system, to increase the effectiveness of the protection of human rights and freedoms and to speed up the process for the application of modern information technologies, the President of Azerbaijan signed an Order on the Establishment of an “Electronic Court” Information System in Azerbaijan (the “Order”).
Within the framework of the new Electronic Court Information System it will become possible:
- to submit applications, complaints and other documents electronically;
- to lead proceedings in civil, economic, administrative and criminal cases and to carry out exchanges of documents electronically;
- to receive notifications on court proceedings and relevant procedural deadlines through e-mail, SMS and other electronic means; and
- to follow up on court proceedings, decisions issued and their enforcement and complaints or protests of the parties via a “private cabinet”, essentially a restricted online web space.
The Electronic Court Information System also envisages, inter alia:
- the allocation among the judges of cases to be considered by a court in an automated process;
- the drafting of electronic schedules concerning court reviews;
- the recording of court proceedings by means of audio, video and other technical tools and the possibility to view them online; and
- communicating court statistics electronically.
The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed pursuant to the Order to prepare within three months its proposals related to amendments to be made to the legislation for the purpose of ensuring the operation of the Electronic Court Information System.
We will be following closely any amendments in this regard, and if you have any questions concerning how your company may benefit from these new amendments or any other questions related to court practice in Azerbaijan, please contact any one of us at Dentons.
