Real-time AI transcribing system, co-working space to be rolled out at new State Courts towers

SINGAPORE — As the State Courts prepares to move to a new 35-storey building later this year, it is set to embrace technology with a real-time transcribing system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and the creation of a co-working space.

On Friday (March 8), Justice See Kee Oon, who is the presiding judge of the State Courts, noted that technology will continue to advance “in ways which will affect the conduct of litigation and our court operations”.

The judiciary also has to focus on court users’ needs and how technology can enhance their experience of the justice process, he said in his speech at the annual State Courts workplan seminar.

Court users are growing increasingly technology-savvy and sophisticated, with wider access to legal information on the Internet. Nevertheless, the “human touch remains essential” in the justice system, he said.

Justice See also referred to Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon’s speech during the opening of the legal year in January, where he pointed out that the legal industry is being “reshaped” by three significant factors: Globalisation, technology and the growing commercialisation of the law.

“(His) address is a timely reminder that it is absolutely essential for the courts to be adaptive and responsive in the face of challenges,” Justice See said.

Giving some updates on developments in 2018, he also revealed that the number of prosecutions initiated by town councils has dropped about 43 per cent on average. This was after the State Courts mandated a year ago that town councils will have to negotiate and engage with residents before starting criminal proceedings as a last resort.

MAIN INITIATIVES AHEAD

1. Real-time court transcription system

The AI-powered system will be piloted in two courtrooms in the current State Courts building later this month. It will then be used in all courtrooms at the new State Courts towers, which are slated to be completed this year and fully operational by the first quarter of 2020.

It will be able to transcribe English oral evidence in court hearings in real time, allowing judges and parties to review oral testimonies in court immediately.

Currently, transcripts of court proceedings — manually done through audio recordings — are typically provided within seven days, or within three days if it is urgent.

The system has achieved 90 per cent accuracy so far. Its AI is trained in court-specific vocabulary and other domain-specific terms, such as medical terms for coroner’s inquiries.

Work on the system, a joint collaboration between the State Courts and A*Star’s Institute for Infocomm Research, began in November 2017.

2. Co-working space

Small law firms with fewer than five lawyers, as well as technology start-ups, will be able to work in a 470 sqm co-working space on the 21st floor of the new State Courts towers.

For a start, it will house smaller legal practices, especially those specialising in criminal law, family law and community or relational disputes. Small law firms make up about 70 per cent of legal firms in Singapore.

Preference will be given to lawyers with a strong record in pro bono work. Technology startups, academics and students can also take up space there and work with legal professionals.

The space will be called Clicks @ State Courts, and managed by the Singapore Academy of Law.

“By situating their legal practice within the Clicks co-working space, practitioners can gain access to technological capabilities, law-firm-centric support services and shared services, such as billing and administrative functions,” Justice See said.

Details on pricing and lease matters will be released by July, whereupon lawyers and law firms can apply for space there.

3. Earlier engagement of offenders below 21 years old

The State Courts’ Centre for Specialist Services (CCS) will begin working with youthful offenders below 21 years old to rehabilitate them earlier.

The CCS will work with such eligible offenders four weeks after they are first brought to court. Currently, the court can only start the rehabilitation process after they have been sentenced for their offences.

However, months can pass between when they are charged and sentenced, during which they are often unengaged and tend to drop out of school early.

The CCS intends to implement this around June this year.

“We aim to work with our partners to assist these offenders with formal education, vocational training, financial assistance and deal with underlying family or social issues, as appropriate,” said Justice See.

4. Civil Online Toolkit

Litigants can get information on civil court processes and procedures, which are currently spread out across different resources such as brochures and the State Courts website, from this online toolkit.

Litigants who are unrepresented by a lawyer make up a significant proportion of State Courts litigants, and they often do not know what they are required to do under the rules and procedures of civil litigation.

Information will be presented in plain English, with a step-by-step guide of what to expect at each stage of civil proceedings.

The State Courts will also work on similar toolkits for the criminal justice system and the community justice and tribunals system.

5. Inmates to get better access to court documents and legal advice

Currently, all accused persons can access their court documents, such as charge sheets, through the Integrated Criminal Case Filing and Management System (ICMS).

Inmates or those in remand do not have Internet access to do so. They have to clear a six-step process to get hard copies of their documents, which can take five to 10 days.

However, they may need to get documents quickly in order to decide whether to appeal within the 14-day statutory time frame.

The State Courts is working with the Singapore Prisons Service and Community Justice Centre (CJC) to allow such inmates to access their documents from ICMS by giving them Internet access.

Through a video link system, a volunteer lawyer with the CJC can also give inmates legal advice. A six-month pilot of this project began on Feb 1 for inmates serving time for drug-related offences.