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e-Courts > Use of electronic technology in e-Courts

Use of electronic technology in e-Courts

  1. E-Court means a court and/or a tribunal specified in the rules made by the Chief Justice under Section 6 of the Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) Ordinance (Cap. 638) as a court/tribunal in which electronic technology may be used.

  1. The Chief Justice has also designated the integrated Court Case Management System (“iCMS”) as the e-system to facilitate the use of electronic technology in the e-Courts.

  2. In accordance with Section 32 of Cap. 638, the Chief Justice has specified, by implementation notices published in Gazette, that the e-system may be used in relation to the relevant types of proceedings in the District Court (“DC”) and the Magistrates’ Courts (“MCs”). The relevant implementation notices can be found under "Notices and Announcements".

  3. iCMS seeks to facilitate handling of documents between court users and the court in electronic forms. The major electronic services under iCMS include sending and receiving case-specific court documents to and from the e-Courts; inspecting or searching filed documents and other case-related information held by the e-Courts; searching cause books; and making electronic payments.

  4. iCMS is not a platform for service between parties. Service of documents between parties in electronic form is governed by Section 16 of Cap. 638 and the applicable e-rules and e-practice directions. Parties may choose any other suitable electronic platform (outside iCMS) for serving the documents electronically as long as both the serving party and the recipient agree to the use of the platform.

  5. All court users are required to register for full use of electronic services under iCMS. Registration of user accounts is free of charge. Parties of an on-going or a new e-proceeding and their legal representatives (if any), the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong, law firms, government departments, law enforcement agencies and statutory bodies may register for using the full range of services under iCMS.

  6. The use of the e-system is voluntary. To encourage migration to the electronic mode at the initial stage of iCMS implementation, a 20% concession is offered to iCMS users on fee items in Stage 1 e-Courts (see paragraph 9 below) which are primarily or directly related to the electronic handling of court documents. Specifically, such concession is offered for the relevant fee items in Stage 1 e-Courts for five years, starting from the date on which iCMS is first implemented in these court levels.

  7. Unregistered members of the public may also use certain types of iCMS services, mainly relating to searching of electronic documents which may be inspected by the public.

  8. iCMS is to be implemented in phases. Stage 1 of iCMS implementation involves the DC and the Summons Courts of the MCs. In Stage 2, iCMS will be extended to the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, the remaining part of the MCs and the Small Claims Tribunal.