Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has joined a coalition spearheaded by the Government of the Philippines to expedite judicial administration and empower the country’s justice system. Microsoft will help to digitise files, provide a specialised search engine with Azure artificial intelligence and deliver virtual hearings in over 2,000 courts.
The latest collaboration builds on Microsoft’s 2020 partnership with the Supreme Court of the Philippines, in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court implemented Microsoft Teams videoconferencing tools to improve the country’s legal proceedings by hosting virtual hearings.
By January 2023, the country had held over 1.2 million virtual hearings. During this phase, the high court migrated critical workloads to the cloud, such as enabling electronic filing of complaints and petitions. It also made Microsoft 365 the primary medium for communication and collaboration for the entire Judicial Branch of the Philippine Government.
“Technology offers the way forward in unifying the Philippines’ coalition of justice, safety and security agencies in an unprecedented and truly transformative way,” said Joanna Rodriguez, Microsoft Philippines director of public sector business. “Regardless of oversight or area of operation, the strategic implementation of cloud technology can eliminate the many operational challenges this coalition faces, in turn providing more effective citizen services to our nation.”
Through the extended collaboration, Microsoft aims to help the Government of the Philippines address challenges throughout public safety and the justice system. It is working with the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice on a common judiciary platform to streamline case management and hearings.
“The Philippines is in a unique position to capitalise on the new administration’s collective emphasis on digital intensity and the scale at which the nation has already applied technology over the last two and a half years,” said Rodriguez. “This is a tremendous, unprecedented opportunity for the country, as well as a critical imperative that public and private sector organisations must join hands in embracing.
“At Microsoft, we recognise the enormous potential this moment carries. Long-term innovation and positive impact for all stakeholders of justice and public safety can become a reality and we are fully committed to bringing the full weight of our technology to bear to bring the nation’s ambitions to life.”