Good morning and thank you, Chair Day, Chair Eldridge, and members of the Judiciary Committee for hearing testimony today on House Bill 1520: An Act to improve and modernize the information technology systems and capacities of the judiciary. And thank-you Chair Day and Representative Harrington for sponsoring this bill, which is so important to our court system and to accessing justice in this Commonwealth.
Detailed testimony on this bill will be provided by our Court Administrator John Bello and the Court’s Chief Information Officer Steven Duncan. I simply wish to convey the strong support of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court and all court leaders for this legislation. The improvements it would allow will change how judges and courts do their work for years to come.
This past year and a half has demonstrated the critical importance of equipping the courts with up-to-date information technology systems. Our experience during the pandemic showed that: if court services were to be maintained, there was no option other than to embrace technology to deliver those services. And our experience also showed that some of the changes made in response to the pandemic represent improvements that should continue, even when the pandemic is behind us. To maintain these advancements in the delivery of court services, access to courts in both civil and criminal cases will require a major investment in our systems, security and infrastructure.
House Bill 1520 will transform and modernize our courts and improve the experience for all who use and work in them. On behalf of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court and all court leaders, I urge the Legislature to act quickly on this bill to allow the courts to capitalize on the momentum developed during the pandemic.
Thank you.
| Date published: | October 29, 2021 |
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