Courts seek more than 1 million euros to improve Liteko II

Lithuania’s courts will need more than 1 million euros next year to improve the Liteko II information system, Council of Judges Chair Danguole Bubliene told LRT.

About 600,000 euros would be used to hire additional staff, while a further 500,000 euros would fund software improvements, Bubliene said. She also serves as president of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

Part of the funding would strengthen the National Courts Administration’s information technology team by attracting qualified specialists to ensure more effective management of the system. The remaining funds would be used to stabilise the software and improve the efficiency of its functions.

National Courts Administration Director Jurga Greiciene said the organisation’s ability to operate and plan further development of Liteko depended directly on the funding it received. She said negotiations were under way with the Finance Ministry and the Government Chancellery to secure consistent financing that would allow activities to be planned over a longer period.

The Justice Ministry also said this week that it was negotiating with the Finance Ministry for additional funds to address the increased workload faced by court employees because of Liteko II disruptions, strengthen system management expertise, provide technical maintenance and continue its development.

Bubliene said she believed the necessary solutions would be found with the Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry and government. She added that the justice minister was making efforts to increase court funding for staff and Liteko II.

Liteko II has experienced disruptions since it was launched in early June. Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė has said the system is functioning better but remains less stable than it should be. Bubliene said stabilisation work was continuing, while additional funding was also needed to make the system more efficient.

According to Greiciene, progress was made over the summer and the number of incidents fell significantly. Since June 1, the system has recorded 169 incidents classified as the highest priority and 141 as high priority. Of the 310 incidents, 257 have already been resolved and implemented or are awaiting inspection and implementation.

Another update planned for this weekend is expected to bring significant changes to the system’s functions, Greiciene said. Tamašunienė has identified September 1 as an important target for eliminating the most serious disruptions affecting the system and court work, but has stressed that stabilisation will not be completed in a single day.

The system was developed by Proit, which was later added to a list of unreliable suppliers over circumstances related to an update of the Family Social Support Information System. Novian Pro currently oversees the system’s operation.