E-justice in Switzerland and Brazil: Paths and Experiences

Abstract

The main aim of this contribution is to explore the experiences and strategies used to adopt e-justice innovations and compare the similarities and differences between Swiss and Brazilian courts of justice. In Switzerland, the object was the project entitled Justitia 4.0, a one-stop-shop portal of justice in the country. In Brazil, the object was the electronic judicial process -PJE, considered the main e-justice system in the country. The research is qualitative and descriptive. Forty-seven in-depth interviews with semi-structured scripts were conducted with judges, information technology managers and judicial managers in Switzerland and Brazil. In Switzerland the data were collected in courts of first and second instances in seven cantons and in the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. In Brazil, interviews were conducted in first and second instances courts of justice in seven states and in the Federal Regional Court of the First Region. The results highlight the main drivers, hinders, impacts and outcomes of the adoption of e-justice in both countries as well as the similarities and differences found.