From the upgrade of the National Criminal Register to the digitization of approximately 300 million files, the National Criminal Register has been upgraded to the digitalization of approximately 300 million files. pages of court records and equipping 110 hearing rooms with digital recording systems, one of the largest technological upgrade projects ever implemented in the field of Greek justice is underway.
The projects implemented by the Information Society, an agency of the Ministry of Digital Governance, aim to improve the management of judicial data, to speed up critical procedures for citizens and professionals in the field, and to modernize the infrastructure and services used daily by courts and prosecution authorities throughout the country.
A central part of this effort is the ICT upgrade and expansion project in the Justice sector, with a total contract price of €69.1 million. EUR 69.1 million including VAT. The project includes the functional module for the enhancement of the National Criminal Registry, as well as the second phase of the Integrated Civil and Criminal Justice Case Management System (ICJCS-CJP).
The intervention in the National Criminal Register aims to enhance the procedures for keeping and issuing the relevant certificates through more automation, improved data quality and interoperability with national registers and European systems such as ECRIS. At the same time, mechanisms to enhance security, process control and administrative information capabilities are being incorporated.
The importance of this upgrade is particularly high, as the criminal record is one of the most used services of the justice system by citizens and public bodies. Speeding up and simplifying the issuing procedures is expected to reduce the administrative burden and improve the service to citizens.
The largest court record digitization project
At the same time, one of the largest digitisation projects ever undertaken in the public sector is underway. The project involves the records of the Ministry of Justice and spans 320 courts and prosecutors’ offices across the country, from the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court Prosecution Service to courts of appeal, district courts, district attorneys’ offices, appellate prosecutors’ offices and magistrates’ courts.
The physical scope of the project provides for the digitization of approximately 300.24 million pages of digital documents. pages, with a milestone of completing 90% of the scope, i.e. approximately 270 million pages.
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According to the latest progress figures, 273 have already been scanned.411,559 pages have been scanned, 246,928,398 have been sampled, 207,184,434 have been uploaded, while the number of pages registered stands at 139,234,997 and the number of documents registered stands at 16,838,625.
Beyond the sheer volume of data, the essence of the project lies in the conversion of the physical file into searchable digital information. The documents undergo processes of scanning, character recognition (OCR), enrichment with metadata and registration in a Process, Document and Digital Records Management system.
This will facilitate the search and retrieval of documents, enhance information security and create the conditions for better interconnection with the information systems of the Ministry of Justice.
The project has nationwide coverage, as it is implemented in 249 structures in mainland Greece and in 71 structures in the island country.
The 110 halls moving into the digital age
Another important part of the digital transformation is the upgrade of the court records system, a project with a total contract price of 28.78 million euros. €28.28 including VAT.
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The project provides for the installation of technical infrastructure for the digital recording, storage and availability of the minutes of the meetings of the civil and criminal courts of the country. In this context, the necessary equipment is being deployed and networking work is being carried out in up to 110 hearing rooms nationwide, including selected rooms in detention facilities used as hearing rooms.
In addition, the provision of audio recording and de-recording services up to 110.000 hours per contract year, which highlights the scope of intervention in the day-to-day running of the courts.
The digital recording of the hearing and the secure storage of transcripts are considered crucial for the more efficient management of judicial cases, as they reduce processing time and facilitate access to the relevant material.
The project also includes additional capabilities to leverage artificial intelligence for practice recording, to further accelerate processing and enhance the quality of the resulting data.
The implementation path
According to progress reports, the court records project has already received the phases related to the implementation study, system upgrades, out-of-the-box e-services, interoperability, equipment installation and service expansion to the 110 courtrooms.
The phases of testing and piloting, user training and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies have also been completed, while the recording and dubbing services remain in progress.
In the Justice ICT upgrade and expansion project, phases involving studies, equipment procurement, digital service development, system configuration and training have been completed. With regard to the OSS-DIS-PP, full productive operation of the new capabilities is expected within 2026.
“Justice is now entering a new digital order, where information is not lost in the volume of paper, but is organized, protected and utilized for the benefit of the citizen and the institutions. With the projects implemented by the Information Society, the criminal register, court records and the courtrooms themselves are acquiring modern digital tools that enhance the speed, transparency and reliability of the judicial function,” says the CEO of the Information Society, Stavros Asthenidis.
And add: “We’re not just talking about IT projects. We are talking about a substantial institutional infrastructure that is changing the way justice works in practice. From the digitisation of hundreds of millions of pages and the enhancement of the National Criminal Registry, to the 110 hearing rooms that are getting advanced digital recording capabilities, we are building an environment that is more efficient, more transparent and more friendly for all.”
