J. Leonen and a digital court

Justice Marvic Leonen’s call for digitalization is not a call for convenience. It is a call for survival.

When Justice Leonen of the Supreme Court speaks about the need for institutions to keep up with technological change, he is not simply advocating for new software or faster computers. He is challenging the justice sector to confront a deeper truth: the world has changed, and governance must change with it.

We live in an era where transactions happen in seconds, evidence travels through encrypted platforms, money crosses borders invisibly, and narratives are shaped online before facts are even verified. Yet many of our justice institutions still move at a pace designed for paper files, manual routing, and physical archives. The mismatch is glaring. It breeds delay. It breeds inefficiency. And worst of all, it breeds public distrust.

Digitalization, as Justice Leonen frames it, is not about replacing people. It is about empowering them. A digitized court system, prosecution service, or investigative body is one that can track cases in real time, reduce opportunities for tampering, minimize human error, and create an auditable trail of every action taken. In a country where allegations of corruption and delay haunt public institutions, transparency through technology is not optional. It is essential.

But digitalization must be done thoughtfully. It cannot be a cosmetic reform where scanners replace folders, but old habits remain. True digital transformation requires rethinking workflows, training personnel, investing in cybersecurity, and ensuring interoperability across agencies. It demands leadership that understands both the promise and the risks of technology. Without safeguards, digital systems can also be manipulated, breached, or weaponized. Thus, modernization must walk hand in hand with integrity.

There is also a moral dimension to this call. Justice delayed is justice denied. When cases drag on because files are misplaced, notices are delayed, or coordination fails, it is not just the institution that suffers. It is the victim waiting for closure. It is the accused waiting for vindication. It is the citizen who begins to doubt whether the rule of law still functions. Digitalization, properly implemented, shortens the distance between complaint and resolution. It restores faith.

Critics may argue that technology is expensive or that many regions lack infrastructure. These concerns are real. But the cost of inaction is higher. Every inefficiency has a price. Every delay erodes confidence. Every failure to modernize widens the gap between citizens and the institutions meant to serve them.

Justice Leonen’s call, therefore, is not about gadgets. It is about institutional courage. It is about acknowledging that the justice system must evolve or risk irrelevance. In embracing digitalization, we are not abandoning tradition. We are preserving the very ideals that tradition seeks to protect: fairness, transparency, and accountability.

The future of justice will not wait for us. We must build it now.