Burundi is preparing a digital justice platform that will allow citizens to file certain criminal complaints online and track the progress of their cases, as the government moves to digitise the country’s criminal justice system.
The planned E-Justice platform is designed to connect the main institutions in the criminal justice chain, from judicial police and prosecutors to courts and prisons, according to information presented during a meeting of justice-sector officials on Oct. 2.
A criminal justice expert involved in the initiative said citizens will be able to submit complaints through the platform and follow the progress of their cases.
The system is also intended to improve the management and preservation of judicial case files and reduce delays in processing cases.
Gamaliel Nkurunziza, president of Burundi’s Supreme Court, said the platform would help speed up the handling of judicial cases and called on justice-sector officials to increase their use of digital tools.
Rosalie Nahishakiye, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, said digitization would reduce delays in processing cases and make judicial services more accessible to litigants.
The initiative is receiving support from the United Nations Development Programme. Emma Ngouan-Anoh, the UNDP representative in Burundi, welcomed the government’s efforts to modernize the justice sector and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting the process.
The government also plans to establish assistance points for citizens who are not familiar with digital tools. The centers are expected to help people submit complaints and monitor their cases through the new system.
The planned platform comes as Burundi expands the use of digital tools in its justice system. UNDP has previously supported online court hearings in provinces without prison facilities and has backed other efforts to improve digital access to justice.
The move could also face challenges linked to limited digital access. A recent report by We Are Tech Africa, citing DataReportal, said only 11.1% of Burundi’s population used the internet at the end of 2025. The report also cited International Telecommunication Union data showing that 3G coverage reached 53.2% of the population in 2024, while 4G or equivalent coverage stood at 32.2%.
UNDP has previously warned that digital justice initiatives need to address the digital divide, data protection and the risk of excluding people who lack access to technology.
The Burundi platform is expected to bring together the different stages of the criminal justice process in a single digital system, with the stated goal of making case management faster and giving citizens a way to interact with the justice system without relying entirely on physical visits to judicial institutions.
