KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz, is encouraging members of the legal fraternity to embrace information and communications technology (ICT) in order to serve citizens.

The minister was speaking at the third in the series of Jamaica International Arbitration Centre Limited (JAIAC) ‘Coffee Time’ webinars today, under the theme ‘Technology, Innovation and the Changing Global Environment for Dispute Management’.

“Like many services of government, the use of technology is an integral way in bringing justice closer to our people,” Vaz said.

He highlighted that people no longer have to be in the same physical locations to resolve problems due to the usage of technology.

“Legal proceedings, such as mediation and arbitration can use the technology to resolve these matters, whether it is through hardware or software. Technology is a critical tool in our legal arsenal and I hope that it will be incorporated as much as possible in our legal proceedings,” the minister said.

Vaz noted that the use of artificial intelligence is another method of resolving issues more efficiently in modern times as the world embraces the digital age.

“No sector is immune to these [technological] changes, and there is a greater call to incorporate technology in our legal proceedings for greater efficiency and faster resolution of matters,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister used the opportunity to commend the JAIAC for hosting the webinar series, which focused on the use of technology in dispute resolution and the legal sector.

The JAIAC is a non-profit company established in 2015 that provides support for the conduct of domestic, regional and international arbitration, mediation, adjudication and neutral evaluation.