Lithuania's LITEKO II court system issues to be resolved by September, acting minister says

Lithuania's acting minister R. Tamašunienė has stated that issues plaguing the LITEKO II court system are anticipated to be resolved by September. The system, designed to streamline judicial processes, has been plagued by problems since its launch, causing significant disruptions for court personnel, lawyers, and other participants in legal proceedings.

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According to preliminary data provided by the National Courts Administration, the situation should be resolved by September.

Tamašunienė acknowledged that the system's rollout was "ill-considered," particularly launching it without sufficient testing. She noted that the previous LITEKO I system is not being considered for an upgrade due to the estimated 1 million euro cost. Instead, the focus is on rectifying the current LITEKO II system's deficiencies.

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I consider it an ill-considered step when LITEKO II was launched to operate without additional trials, without additional testing.

Representatives from the Judges' Council, the Prosecutor's Office, the Bar Association, and the State Legal Aid Service have identified a lack of functionality and poor performance within LITEKO II. While the company responsible for the system is reportedly working on fixes based on submitted feedback, Tamašunienė described their response as "sluggish" and "unjustifiably unfulfilled."

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We see that the ability to respond and improve functionalities is sluggish, an unjustifiably unfulfilled project by this company. But now there is no other situation than to fix what is working poorly.

To expedite the resolution of these problems, the ministry has requested additional analysts and IT specialists from subordinate institutions to assist the National Courts Administration. The Lithuanian Bar Association has formally appealed to the Judges' Council and the National Courts Administration, highlighting that the system's failures have led to postponed hearings, inaccessible case documents, and general uncertainty about when a functional system can be expected. The association urges for clear public communication regarding timelines and plans for the modernized system's stable operation.

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The court system is currently disrupted, meaning postponed court hearings, inaccessible case documents, and other irregularities, ultimately leading to uncertainty about when a properly functioning system can be expected.