Law Times

Law Times • December 9, 2013 Page 3 NEWS AG falters on court technology system once again BY YAMRI TADDESE Law Times T he Ministry of the Attorney General says it no longer plans to implement the Court Information Management System that has cost at least $10 million and several years to develop. Last week, ministry spokesman Brendan Crawley told Law Times the government has discarded the plan and is instead focusing on modifying its existing system. "The ministry will not be rolling out CIMS as originally conceived," said Crawley, whose ministry had already said it was reviewing the plan last year. "To respond to demands for more timely modernization in the courts, the ministry has made investments in its current systems to enable a much more agile and responsive approach to its transformation agenda." By December 2012, the cost of building the Court Information Management System was $9.9 million. The idea was to begin user training for the program by the spring of 2012 under a phased implementation plan. The government was developing the Court Information Management System as part of a plan to digitize Ontario's largely paperbased and outdated courthouses alongside the Crown Management Information System for the prosecution service. But the government won't be implementing that system either. Instead, it will remain "in limited use," according to the ministry. "The Crown Management Information System (CMIS) remains in limited use in some Crown attorneys' offices while we move forward with developing an in-house case-management/document-management solution that will also allow us to better track workload information," said Crawley. "The ministry will continue to support these existing CMIS sites with basic technology maintenance to ensure the sustainability of the software in the short term. The ministry does not intend to continue developing or deploying CMIS." Instead, Crawley said the ministry reviewed case-management technology used by police and other provinces and is incorporating that information into its approach. "Based on that [review] and our experience to date, the ministry has developed an in-house case-management/ document-management solution that will also allow us to better track workload information." MPP Julia Munro, the Progressive Conservative critic for the attorney general, says it's "frustrating" that the government has discarded the Court Information Management System after spending millions of taxpayer dollars on it. "You're supposed to think of that before you spend the money to do a search and find out what would provide you with the end result you want," she says in reference to the government's reviews after the fact. "You're not supposed to have reviews afterwards. So it's not a shining moment at this point." Munro promised to get further details on the matter and possibly raise it in the legislature. "Somebody has offered the sign-off on the money and now they're looking at it and wanting to back away," she says. "At the end of the day, it's taxpayers' money that appears to have been frittered away instead of providing a service that is in fact very much needed." She adds: "You know, it's modernization and the idea is that you would become more efficient through that in cost and in time but [the situation now] looks to me suspiciously like the eHealth boondoggle and things like that." Lawyers she speaks to about the justice system always "come around to this issue," Munro notes, adding the idea that people are still carrying boxes of materials from one courthouse to another isn't acceptable, especially when other jurisdictions like Alberta and Manitoba have already found ways to create adequate programs. According to a 2010 report by the auditor various technology efforts. general, British Columbia Over the last six years, had successfully implementspending on the existing ed its own system in 2001 at systems that mainly proa cost of $15 million. vide case-tracking and When it comes to court scheduling functions — technology, the ministry ICON, FRANK, and Esnow says it's "taking a more tates — was $13.8 million. incremental approach to deThe lengthy effort to imploying technology, includplement a comprehensive ing enhancing the capability court technology system of the case tracking systems has been the subject of comand scheduling," according mentary in various reports to Crawley, who identified by the auditor general. Last three "immediate" priorities year's report, for example, for modernization. noted the ministry's interThe priorities include nal auditors had expressed remote court appearances, 'At the end of the day, it's taxpayers' money self-service for filing court that appears to have been frittered away concern about the managedocuments, and making instead of providing a service that is in fact ment of the Crown Management Information System. more information available very much needed,' says Julia Munro. "The internal auditor noted online for users. "There is much more to be done, but these are the imme- that IT consultants hired to develop CMIS, at a cost so far of $1.3 million, were not managed diate priorities for modernization," he said. Part of the goal now is to have an informa- effectively and that billings were based on time tion technology system that allows the minis- spent rather than meeting project deliverable try to receive disclosure from police services outcomes," the auditor general said. The 2010 report noted that at the time, the electronically. Last year, the government reported that target date for a more comprehensive system LT it had been spending lots of money on its in Ontario was 2009-10. 2014 ONTARIO LAWYER'S PHONE BOOK THE MOST COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF ONTARIO LAWYERS, LAW FIRMS, JUDGES AND COURTS With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: 27,000 lawyers listed 9,000 law firms and corporate offices listed December each year On subscription $74 One time purchase $77 L88804-626 Multiple copy discounts available Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. Includes lists of: Federal and provincial judges Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions Small claims courts Miscellaneous services for lawyers Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation Untitled-3 1 www.lawtimesnews.com 13-12-02 7:29 PM

• Cover