Aleksandra Filimonova
PhD Student in Economics, Bocconi University
I am a PhD student in Economics at Bocconi University. My research lies in the field of development economics.
PhD Student in Economics, Bocconi University
I am a PhD student in Economics at Bocconi University. My research lies in the field of development economics.
Abstract
Delays in judicial proceedings are a pervasive institutional challenge. We study how technology changes judicial production using Indonesia's e-court reform, which introduced e-filing, e-payments, and virtual hearings for civil but not criminal cases. Using case-level data linking trial decisions to appeals, we compare civil and criminal cases handled by the same judge in the same court before and after reform. E-courts reduced case duration by about 7 days, or 15 percent, while preserving judicial quality. If anything, appeals and reversals fell, judgments became more concise, and readability and statutory citations were unchanged. The gains extended through the judicial system: case duration in untreated appellate courts fell by about 9 days, or 20 percent. The pattern is consistent with the reform freeing judicial capacity for more complex disputes, highlighting the potential for technology to expand capacity by reorganizing judicial production and relieving system-wide congestion.