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E-filing creates more paperwork

Staff, CNETAsia CNETAsia

Published: 01 Oct 2003 16:10 BST

An e-filing system for lawyers' court documents has been overhauled after complaints that it added to paperwork headaches instead of taking them away.

The S$29m (£10.11m) e-filing system, meant to eliminate paperwork and reduce costs, has instead consumed more time, increased the workload of lawyers and driven up client fees, according to a report from The Straits Times.

Two-thirds of law firms surveyed said that e-filing increased the time spent on document filing, a process that includes the scanning and uploading of every piece of paper.

Instead of replacing hard copies, the system created an electronic twin of the paper mountain: Four in five kept hard copies of documents that were filed electronically.

A review committee found that even court officers preferred to use hard copies. The instability and slowness of the e-system did not gain much productivity or efficiency, said the report.

Starting on 15 October, almost all e-filing fees will be cut by 20 percent, while the 15 percent surcharge for paper filings at service bureaus in the city will also be dropped.

Penalties for incorrect e-filings will be waived or capped at S$25. The usually-large trial bundles will no longer have to be filed electronically, said the report.