31st October 2024 – (Hong Kong) The Judiciary has announced that, effective today, the Integrated Court Case Management System (iCMS) will be extended to include bulk claims in the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT). This enhancement allows court users to file claims and make payments electronically, streamlining the process for all involved.
Bulk claims refer to those filed by claimants who have received approval from the Principal Adjudicator to submit multiple claims for simultaneous hearing in the SCT. The iCMS is a crucial component of the Judiciary’s Information Technology Strategy Plan, designed to facilitate the electronic management of court-related documents and payments across various court levels.
Since its phased introduction in 2022, the iCMS has already been implemented for personal injury actions, tax claim proceedings, civil actions, and employees’ compensation cases in the District Court, as well as summons cases in the Magistrates’ Courts. Further expansions to other court levels are planned, with a goal to mandate the iCMS for all legally represented litigants by 2026 for applicable case types.
Key features of the iCMS include the ability to send and receive case-specific court documents, inspect filed documents, search cause books, and process payments for court services. Eligible users, including parties involved in ongoing or new electronic proceedings, their legal representatives, law firms, and government bodies, must register for a user account to access the full suite of services. Registration is free, and unregistered members of the public can still access certain services, primarily for searching publicly available electronic documents.
To incentivise the transition to electronic filing and payment, the Judiciary is offering a 20% concession on SCT fee items related to the electronic handling of court documents for the next three years.
The iCMS is accessible via personal computers or mobile devices with internet connectivity and commonly used operating systems and browsers. For operational details, users can refer to the Judiciary’s dedicated webpage. The system is generally available 24/7, except during scheduled maintenance, with updates on maintenance times published online.
Any e-filing or e-payment submitted after regular office hours (post 5.40pm on working days) will be considered received at the opening of the registry and accounts office on the following working day.
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