Earlier this month, at the kick-off meeting of the training activity ‘Building a Common Digital Culture’, the ‘EJTN Digital Ambassador’ programme was unveiled. This groundbreaking initiative will support the digital transformation of justice by equipping European justice practitioners with the tools and knowledge they need to support the digitalisation processes at national level. Through this initiative, the European Judicial Training Network will be able to have direct impact on how national justice systems adapt to the digitalisation of justice, providing them with the relevant training and resources.
“The Working Group on Digitalisation designed this initiative around key priorities: Accessibility, which includes ensuring that citizens and justice practitioners along with their training institutions can benefit from the digital transformation of justice, and collaboration, which includes sharing knowledge and best practices across borders.
In recent years, the digital era has evolved from a mere concept to an integral part of the daily work of justice practitioners. From e-filing and AI-driven tools to remove hearings, technology continues to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of justice. Yet, these advancements also come with challenges, which is why we are developing initiatives such as this one,” said the Convener of the Working Group on Digitalisation, Haffide Boulakras, from the EJTN Member École nationale de la magistrature (ENM).
What is the programme about?
The programme is built around the Digital Competence Framework for Justice Personnel, developed in collaboration with the Spanish Centre for Judicial Studies (CEJ). This framework complements the broader Digital Competence Framework for Citizens by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. Together, both frameworks ensure that the competences promoted through the programme are fully aligned with EU-level standards, while remaining specifically tailored to the practical needs of judges, prosecutors and court staff across EU Member States.
The training activities under this initiative include topics, such as privacy and personal data protection, the Digital Rights Charter, data-driven information management, electronic court filing systems, digital points of access to justice, and security and confidentiality of information. All individual training activities under this initiative are detailed in the EJTN Online Training Catalogue. You can also download the digital leaflet of the programme.
After completing the training cycle, the EJTN Digital Ambassadors will be equipped to:
- Lead digital projects in their home institutions, such as modernising filing systems or upgrading courtroom technology
- Advocate for inclusive digital practices, including ensuring that new digital tools and services are accessible to the broader legal community and the general public
- Support their peers on topics related to digitalisation and building digital competences
How to get involved?
The participants of the training activity ‘Building a Common Digital Culture’ will have the possibility to obtain the status of ‘EJTN Digital Ambassador’.
To obtain this status, participants need to:
- Take part in eight online seminars (held in English), which will be held from 14 May to 29 October
- Complete an e-learning course on the HELP Programme’s platform during this time period
- Attend the hybrid final session held at the end of November
The EJTN-HELP e-learning course forms the core of the programme. The course focuses on the practical application of digital competences in judicial settings. Please note that completing this course is a mandatory requirement. Instructions on how to access the HELP course are available in the HELP Course Access Guide.
With both modules completed, participants will be officially recognised as EJTN Digital Ambassadors.
Registration for the webinars is open on a rolling basis, and new participants can attend throughout the course of the initiative without having attended the Kick-off, which took place in Lisbon at the beginning of April.
What are the participants saying?
Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many participants praising the programme’s hands-on approach and its unique blend of learning pathways (face-to-face, online, asynchronous e-learning).
Some of the participant feedback includes:
“It was certainly a source of inspiration to hear the experiences of other institutions, how they set up their training programmes on digitalisation. We heard fantastic success stories. The attention to the themes of accessibility and citizen service/bringing justice closer to the citizen was also very much appreciated. Very important.”
“The initiative promotes harmonisation of Digital Skills across Member States. This supports the EU goal of creating a more cohesive digital judicial area, reducing disparities between national systems. It encourages the exchange of best practices and experiences in digitalisation of justice systems, which is crucial for effective cross-border cooperation.”
“The training fully met my expectations. I found the clear introduction to digital competencies – especially those related to AI – to be particularly beneficial for my role as a Digital Ambassador and trainer, while the insights on digitalisation and cybersecurity were also very valuable.”
For more information on the ‘EJTN Digital Ambassador’ Programme, get in touch with the EJTN Innovation, Digitalisation and Resources Unit at digihelpdesk@ejtn.eu
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