BY RHEANNE SCOTT GOVERNMENTS HAVE LONG BEEN WORKING TO TRANSFORM JUSTICE SYSTEMS BY IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURAL REFORMS AND INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGY — WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING EFFICIENCY, QUALITY AND INDEPENDENCE. 10 / Canadian Government Executive // Spring 2023 PERFORMANCE The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these plans while also underscoring the need for greater progress, especially to better meet the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups in society. Now, in this next wave of reform, justice systems need to become more citizen-centric, ensuring access for all in a rapidly evolving world of pervasive inequality and declining trust in institutions.. Leaders must apply the lessons learned during the pandemic to set a new baseline expectation and build momentum. Reverting to traditional ways of working is not an option. Over the past year, professionals in PwC’s Justice practices around the world interviewed leaders working in prosecution, courts, legal aid and justice-related organizations across six countries. Based on that research, we believe that the imperative for change towards a building modernized justice system that puts citizens at its heart and increases trust rests on three key enablers: • Collaborative leadership, in which officials serve as strategic thinkers and work with other justice and non-justice partners to better meet the needs of citizens and achieve more effective outcomes. • Prudent use of technology, with new tools to increase innovation and efficiency and reduce costs while building public trust and increasing access. • Modernized financial models, to ensure organizations get the resources they need to deliver high-quality services focused on outcomes while still remaining accountable. Here, we offer an analysis of the current state of justice systems and challenges within these three enabling areas informed by the perspectives gained through our interviews. We also present a vision for the future to make sure that the transformation momentum and ground gained during the pandemic is not lost. Collaborative leadership Current state and challenges A key element of reform is creating the right structure and mechanisms for effective collaboration among prosecutors, judges, lawyers, police and litigants. Collaboration was important before COVID-19, but the JUSTICE SYSTEMS THE NEW IMPERATIVE TO MODERNIZE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDI0Mzg=