A strategic cooperation agreement has been concluded between the National Office for the Judiciary and the NISZ National Infocommunications Services Company Ltd. (NISZ Ltd.) with the aim of further developing the courts’ infrastructure in the field of remote interviewing and installing image and sound recording apparatus in the courtrooms. The agreement was signed by Dr. Tünde Handó, President of the National Office for the Judiciary and Ferenc Bancsics, CEO of NISZ Ltd. on 12 February 2019.

In 2018, the National Office for the Judiciary and NISZ Ltd. constructed, throughout the country, 72 courtrooms with remote interviewing equipment and image and sound recording apparatus. This electronic communications network enables the courts to conduct hearings and interviews in a manner that is time-effective and cost-effective for the parties concerned. In addition, protected persons, victims with special needs, e.g. juvenile persons may be heard under peaceful conditions in the absence of the accused person, in a separate room. Experience so far has shown that the remote interviewing terminals have been successfully used by the courts in every field of law and that the quality of both the images and sound has been excellent.

The present cooperation agreement enables the parties to further develop the Via Video project – stressed the President of the National Office for the Judiciary in her speech. Dr. Tünde Handó told that they would like to establish another 112 terminals in addition to the already existing 72 ones at the Hungarian courts. Dr. Tünde Handó is of the opinion that the system of remote interviewing demonstrates its worthiness on a daily basis and its use saves an incredible amount of travelling and time for the parties to proceedings. In addition to the recording of images and sound in the current system, future developments seek to provide the courts with the written version of their hearings as well. The President of the National Office for the Judiciary emphasised that Dr. Szabolcs Kékedi, Head of the Department of Electronic Procedures and Dr. Zoltán Péter, Deputy Head of the Department of Electronic Procedures at the National Office for the Judiciary had accomplished a particularly great work in the establishment and successful operation of the system of remote interviewing.

Ferenc Bancsics, CEO of NISZ Ltd. added that NISZ Ltd., as the Ministry of Interior’s support organisation, seeks to assist Hungarian citizens in dealing with their administrative cases by way of providing the most advanced IT services, hence, it plays a central role in ensuring the country’s e-government. The setting up of a national video conference system – elaborated and established in a close working relationship between the National Office for the Judiciary and NISZ Ltd. and on the basis of the judiciary’s professional needs – was one of the cornerstones of the courts’ digitalisation. In the framework of the present agreement, our continued collaboration aims at improving the current system by creating additional terminals and introducing new functionalities, which would further simplify the carrying out of the judiciary’s day-to-day tasks.

The cooperation agreement is of outstanding importance also because the system’s efficient functioning brings a number of advantages for both the court system and the parties to proceedings. It can make procedural acts simpler and more efficient, and it can accelerate them and reduce their costs. Remote interviewing can save time for the courts, the parties concerned and any other parties to the proceedings as well, and it can prevent the latter two categories of persons from wasting money and time travelling to the competent court’s seat.