Digital transformation is reshaping how societies deliver public services, and justice is no exception. Across Asia and beyond, courts are adopting technology to enhance proceedings, making them more transparent, efficient, and accessible. Kazakhstan’s experience shows that digitalisation can strengthen, rather than weaken, the human dimension of justice when guided by the principles of openness and accountability.
When Kazakhstan began introducing electronic case management nearly a decade ago, the aim was modest: to reduce paperwork and delays. What started as document digitisation has evolved into a comprehensive online justice ecosystem that reaches every citizen. Today, anyone can file a claim, receive a court notification, or appeal a decision online through a national portal called Judicial Cabinet.
The results have been transformative. In 2015, only around 5% of claims were submitted electronically. Today, that figure stands at 95%, with any remaining paper filings being digitised upon receipt. Every courtroom in the country is equipped with audio and video recording systems, ensuring transparency in proceedings and the integrity of the judicial record.
The shift to digital platforms has made justice more accessible to those living far from major cities, cutting travel time and legal costs. It has also encouraged a culture of openness. Even after pandemic restrictions were lifted, citizens and lawyers continued to favour online hearings, seeing them as more efficient and less burdensome.
Digitalisation is often measured in terms of speed and convenience, but its deeper value lies in building trust between citizens and the state. Technology alone cannot achieve this; what matters is how it is used. In Kazakhstan, the judiciary’s digital transformation is part of a broader effort to enhance transparency and predictability in the decision-making process.
Every step of the process, from filing to final decision, leaves a verifiable digital trail. This makes it easier for parties to monitor their cases and for the public to see that justice is applied consistently. Kazakhstan’s steady rise in the United Nations e-government rankings, now 24th among 193 countries, reflects this broader institutional progress.
From E-Justice to Digital Justice
The next phase has been a shift from “electronic” to truly “digital” justice, where technology not only automates routine tasks but helps improve the quality of judicial reasoning. Over the past 15 years, Kazakhstan’s courts have processed more than 100 million electronic documents, including 15 million court rulings that have been converted into machine-readable formats.
This growing data pool now supports new analytical systems that help judges maintain consistency across similar cases. By identifying patterns, highlighting discrepancies, and suggesting relevant precedents, these tools contribute to a more objective and predictable judicial practice. The human role remains central, but it is now supported by more complete information and contextual awareness.
A significant milestone in this process was the introduction of the Digital Judicial Analytics system in late 2023. It uses natural-language processing to analyse court rulings, detect semantic similarities, and even forecast possible outcomes based on prior decisions.
When a new case is assigned, judges can use the system to review previous rulings on similar issues, including appellate and cassation outcomes. This enables a more informed approach and reduces the risk of inconsistency. The tool does not make decisions; it helps judges make better ones.
In 2024, the system’s capabilities were expanded to include automated generation of case summaries and identification of relevant legal arguments. These advances reduce the time spent on technical preparation, allowing judges to focus on the substance of disputes.
Automation has also helped streamline routine judicial tasks. In areas where legal facts are uncontested, such as child support recovery or travel restrictions on debtors, automated systems now prepare draft rulings for judicial review. Judges then review, verify, and sign them.
This has led to a measurable reduction in case backlogs and faster turnaround times. For administrative offences — such as traffic or insurance-related violations — decisions can now be issued the same day. Roughly one-third of all cases nationwide are now processed with some form of robotic assistance.
Such measures do not diminish the role of judges; instead, they free them from repetitive administrative work and reduce the likelihood of clerical error. The core judicial functions of deliberation, reasoning, and final judgment remain strictly human.
Internet Courts and Intelligent Tools
The next step in Kazakhstan’s modernisation agenda is the creation of internet courts – specialised digital chambers that will handle cases involving online fraud, digital payments, and disputes over electronic contracts or platforms. All procedures, from filing to verdict, will be conducted online.
Supporting technologies are advancing as well. A new generation of courtroom audio-video systems is being tested, capable of facial recognition and real-time speech-to-text conversion. Together with the Ministry of Digital Development and Astana Hub’s Artificial Intelligence Centre, work is also underway on a prototype “judge’s assistant”, an AI tool that could one day draft preliminary texts based on case materials.
These developments align Kazakhstan with broader global trends in judicial innovation, from China’s internet courts to Singapore’s e-litigation platforms. Yet the emphasis remains on responsible integration: technology should augment human judgment, not replace it.
No digital system is complete without strong data protection. Kazakhstan’s judiciary has implemented a multilayered cybersecurity infrastructure, including intrusion-detection systems, next-generation firewalls, encryption, and continuous monitoring. It also works in coordination with the National Cybersecurity Centre to identify and neutralise threats.
In the first eight months of 2025 alone, more than 9,000 security events were detected and contained, a reminder that digital transformation must go hand in hand with vigilance.
Perhaps the most important lesson from Kazakhstan’s experience is that technology is not an end in itself. Justice remains a human institution grounded in fairness, empathy, and moral reasoning. Artificial intelligence and automation are valuable precisely because they allow judges to devote more time to those human qualities – to understanding context, weighing arguments, and ensuring that each party feels heard.
Digital justice, in this sense, is about making institutions more responsive to people’s needs. As technology advances, maintaining this balance will be crucial not only for Kazakhstan but for every judiciary navigating the digital age.
Kazakhstan’s reforms are still evolving, but they demonstrate that a court can be both modern and humane – a system where algorithms assist but never decide, and where technology helps uphold, rather than dilute, the fundamental promise of justice: equal access, transparency, and trust.
By Nail Akhmetzakirov
Head of the Judicial Administration of Kazakhstan
