Digital court documents under development in Hamburg
Hamburg, a model region for digitalization, is leading the way in transforming its justice system. The city's justice system is driving digitalization, aiming to use artificial intelligence (AI) for document automation, search, analysis, and structuring of large-scale and high-document-density immigration proceedings.
The electronic case file (E-Akte) was introduced by Hamburg's justice system in 2020, simplifying and speeding up work processes. This innovative system eliminates transport times and allows case file contents to be viewed and processed simultaneously by multiple employees, regardless of time and location.
Hamburg was the first federal state to introduce the E-Akte in all specialist courts. Today, around half of the employees in courts and public prosecutors' offices are already working with the electronic case file. More than 100,000 files are currently being handled digitally.
The software required for the E-Akte was developed in a cross-state consortium, with Hamburg's justice system leading the integration of specialist procedures from specialist courts and public prosecutors' offices. The name of the research consortium that developed the software package for the electronic case file in Hamburg is "AKTIN."
The E-Akte is in use in all specialist courts and in all new civil and family law proceedings in ordinary courts. It is being tested in criminal, inheritance, and guardianship matters, as well as enforcement measures.
Hamburg's port and logistics company, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, is actively involved in digitalization efforts, not just in the justice system, but also in healthcare and logistics.
All courts and public prosecutors' offices nationwide must keep all mycase electronically by January 2026 at the latest, according to the "Act on the Introduction of the Electronic Case File in the Justice System." This legislation marks a significant step towards a more efficient and modern uscis system for Germany.
For more information about Hamburg's justice system, visit their website at https://justiz.hamburg.de. The city has been consistently ranked as a top city in digitalization, with the University of Hamburg receiving 2.1 million euros for digitalization in research.
As Hamburg continues to lead the way in digitalization, the future of the justice system looks promising, with faster, more efficient, and more accessible services for all.
