Courts offer online payments as e-services expanded — minister

By Dana Al Emam - Jul 30,2016 - Last updated at Jul 30,2016

AMMAN — Court-ordered payments can be settled online in a new service announced by Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni on Saturday to ease pressure on court departments.

At this stage, online payments are compulsory for banks and companies, the minister said, adding that the move to electronic payments would save time for debtors as well as the court departments that handle payments.

Speaking at a press conference, Talhouni said he expected a 30-35 per cent drop in the number of visitors to payment departments in courts within a year.

The issuance of no-conviction certificates has recently been automated, he added, noting that the concerned authority receives around 1,000 visitors daily.

The ministry’s online portal, which is expected to be launched in two months, will allow lawyers to register cases and pay registration fees online, the minister said, adding that an online mediator would distribute the registered cases among judges.

Through the ministry’s app, available on Android and iOS platforms, lawyers can inquire about cases and bail decisions, he added.

The ICT Ministry has recently activated the electronic signature service among public departments, Talhouni said, adding that his ministry would soon be linked directly to the Civil Defence Department so the electronic signature feature can be activated.

Through the automation of its services, the Justice Ministry also seeks to reach out and provide services to Jordanians living abroad, according to the minister.

The ministry will also launch two arbitration centres, one in Amman and another in Aqaba, which will look into disputes before they are referred to courts, in a move that seeks to minimise the number of registered cases and pressure on courts.

On progress in a project to archive judicial documents, Talhouni said that up to 6.5 million documents have been already archived electronically.

He added that the ministry would soon float a tender to archive an additional 20 million documents.

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