The New Commercial Courts was launched in 1 September 2009 primarily to ensure speedy and efficient disposal of commercial cases. The proposal for the New Commercial Courts specifically to hears cases of a commercial nature were the result of a meeting between PEMUDAH Focus Group on Enforcing Contracts and the Judiciary in early 2009.
The Purpose of the New Commercial Courts:
To set target for disposal of cases – to take charge on the management of cases soon after filing.
To reduce waiting period – to fix early hearing dates and to be strict on application for an adjournment.
To go digital from registration to hearings to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Highlights of measures implemented are as follows:
e-Filing:
An electronic filing system that allows lawyers to register and submit documents from anywhere using internet connection without needing to be present at the specific court. Lawyers can also come for the registration in courts where their paper documents will be converted into digital form. With e-filing, registered cases are automatically integrated into the Case Management System.
Case Management System (CMS):
A system that streamlines the court procedures and enables a better management and analysis of the court’s data. The CMS keeps the most fundamental information about a case that will be used by all authorised users. CMS will also be linked to the Queue Management System which allows sophisticated tracking of registered case documents.
Queue Management System (QMS):
A system that issues a queue ticket to an arriving customer and later calls the ticket when service is available, eliminating the need to stand in line waiting. The system helps to provide comfort as well as fairness to customers, by allowing them to maintain their position in the queue while they are seated comfortably or engaged in a constructive activity. Integration with CMS allows for better handling and tracking of documents, hence, eliminating errors and confusion of files going to the wrong cases.
Court Recording & Transcription System (CRT):
A system that records court proceedings via video and audio. This is a network-based system that can link a court to any place with Internet access. Authorised users can watch live court proceedings while retaining security and privacy. The system facilitates in the preparation of transcripts which are error-free and accurate.
Beginning 1 September 2009, the New Commercial Courts will handle cases filed and lodged for all codes except cases involving Intellectual Property and Muamalat.
