XN000022-1992-02-02 — Page 2

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1992

COMPUTERISED SUMMONS SYSTEM INSTALLED

A NEW COMPUTERISED CASE AND SUMMONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CASEMAN} IS BEING INSTALLED BY THE JUDICIARY TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF ALL CASES WHICH ARE CURRENTLY PROSECUTED BY MEANS OF SUMMONS IN THE MAGISTRACIES.

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THE SYSTEM WILL BECOME OPERATIONAL ON JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

THE BASIS OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE A CENTRAL COMPUTER BASED ON THE MAIN COMPUTER OF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

A SUB-SYSTEM, WHICH IS AT THE CORE OF CASEMAN AND KNOWN AS THE CENTRAL SUMMONS PROCESSING UNIT, IS LOCATED IN THE EASTERN LAW COURTS.

THE CENTRAL COMPUTER WILL BE ACCESSED BY TERMINALS AT THE CENTRAL SUMMONS PROCESSING UNIT, ALL MAGISTRACIES, AND MOST PROSECUTING DEPARTMENTS.

WHEN THE SYSTEM IS PUT INTO USE, FOR EVERY OFFENCE, A STANDARD OFFENCE DESCRIPTION IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE WILL BE KEPT ON THE COMPUTER DATABASE.

THE PROSECUTING DEPARTMENTS WILL KEY IN THE DETAILS, SUCH AS THE NAME, ADDRESS AND I.D. NUMBER OF THE DEFENDANT, TIME AND PLACE OF THE OFFENCE, AND THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBER IN THE EVENT OF A TRAFFIC CASE WHEN APPLYING FOR THE ISSUE OF SUMMONS.

THE COMPUTER WILL THEN ALLOCATE A RETURN DAY FOR THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE DEFENDANT AT THE APPROPRIATE COURT, AND THE SUMMONS WILL BE PRINTED AND SERVED FROM THE CENTRAL SUMMONS PROCESSING UNIT.

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PRODUCE DEFENCE

THE CENTRAL SUMMONS PROCESSING UNIT WILL ALSO SUMMONSES TO WITNESSES, ON APPLICATION BY THE PROSECUTION AT THE MAGISTRACIES CONCERNED.

AFTER THE HEARINGS, DETAILS OF THE OUTCOME WILL ALSO BE ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER.

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CASEMAN, THE QUALITY OF SERVICE OF THE MAGISTRACIES TO THE PUBLIC WILL IMPROVE, AS SUMMONSES WILL BE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, THEY WILL BE MORE READILY COMPREHENSIBLE TO MOST DEFENDANTS.

MOREOVER, THE CENTRALISATION WILL ENABLE A DEFENDANT WHO HAS BEEN ORDERED TO PAY A FINE TO MAKE PAYMENT AT ANY MAGISTRACY, BUT NOT ONLY AT THE MAGISTRACY AT WHICH HIS CASE HAS BEEN HEARD.

THIS WILL BE MORE CONVENIENT TO MANY DEFENDANTS, ESPECIALLY CASES WHERE A PLEA OF GUILTY HAS BEEN ENTERED BY LETTER.

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AS FOR THE JUDICIARY, THE PRIMARY IMPROVEMENT WILL BE THE ELIMINATION OF LABORIOUS MANUAL PROCESSING OF SUMMONSES AT THE INDIVIDUAL MAGISTRACIES AND TRACKING DOWN OF OUTSTANDING FINES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.

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