Implementation of the Court Records Management System in the delivery of justice at the Gaborone Magisterial District, Botswana

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess whether the implementation of the electronic Court Records Management System (CRMS) at the Gaborone Magisterial District, Botswana, brought improvements in the delivery of justice as expected in the management of case file records. Design/methodology/approach Principally, a quantitative approach utilizing a research survey design, supplemented by a qualitative approach was used in this study. Findings The CRMS implementation led to improvements in case file management at the Gaborone Magisterial District; case files were successfully captured into the system; retrieval of case files became easier; and incidents of lost and misplaced case files went down significantly. Challenges included shortcomings related to the security of digital case files, digital records preservation and disposition, records appraisal, training, inadequate bandwidth and shortage of computers, as well as inadequate archives and records management standards and guidelines. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study are limited to the case study and cannot be generalized to other organizations. Practical implications The findings should aid future implementation of court records management systems in the judiciary specifically and the public sector in general in Africa. Lessons learnt can enable the avoidance of pitfalls experienced in the implementation of CRMS by other courts. Originality/value This paper provides empirical evidence from an original study.