Ukraine to be the first country EBRD helps set up online courts

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is launching a pilot project to help countries set up online courts for lawsuits of up to €10,000, with Ukraine being the first country.

The EBRD press service reports, according to Ekonomichna Pravda.

The bank justifies the need for online courts by the congestion of the judicial system, the cost, and the length of the process. The pandemic has only increased the relevance of the accessibility of courts to the people.

Also, 17% of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) consider courts to be a "major" or "very serious" obstacle to their activities. "The costs of litigation are one of the biggest barriers for SMEs," the bank said.

Such a system provides that the procedure for resolving disputes from filing a lawsuit to making a decision is carried out remotely. The participants and their representatives will have direct access to the process, and services and tools will be available "to facilitate access to justice and participation in the trial."

According to a bank study, online courts implemented in Canada, Britain, and the United States have shown excellent results. The EBRD project will build on the experience of these countries to expand online courts in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The project will start in Kyiv for cases ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 euros. With small amounts, disproportionate court costs, and delays in litigation are unfair obstacles that an online court can eliminate, the agency explains.

According to the World Bank, the cost of resolving a commercial dispute through a local court of the first instance in Ukraine is 46.3% of the value of the claim.

First, the EBRD will conduct a comprehensive assessment of court performance and standards based on international commercial court practice. The developed standards and indicators will guide and set performance targets for the concept of online courts, which will be developed in the project's second component.

In the second phase, a concept and roadmap will be developed that other countries the EBRD invests in can replicate.

As Rubryka reported, on March 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced the implementation of the IT solution "Court in a Smartphone."

On March 5, the Minister of Justice revealed some details of the "Court in a Smartphone" project. As part of the project this year, it is planned to combine existing online services in one application.