Business, legal professionals get Wi-Fi access Joburg, Pretoria High Courts

Judge Mojapelo, deputy judge president at South Gauteng High Court with LexisNexis CEO Billy Last

Equipping the courts with Wi-Fi internet connectivity will allow visitors to access the internet via a wireless connection and legal professionals will now be able to access their subscribed My LexisNexis research platform accounts, free of charge, to view law reports and statutes whilst at court.

The launch in the Cape High Court, in August 2011, has been deemed a success, with professionals and visitors able to connect via laptops, tablets, cellular telephones and all other electronic devices with wireless connectivity features. The Wi-Fi facility allows access to any internet site. Visitors purchase data bundles and follow the step by step instructional material, visible throughout the corridors of the court, which explains the connectivity process to users.

Increasing productivity in the High Courts around South Africa, Johannesburg and Pretoria form part of the second round of implementation of the Wi-Fi facility. Continuing to provide world-class content, the group met the need of legal professionals who found it time consuming to have to do research away from the High Courts, with the majority of their time spent there.

Staff at the South Gauteng High Court making use of the Wi-Fi facility

Meeting needs

"Significant usage of our online research products via this network is a good indication that our subscribers are making use of this service and that it is beneficial to them. The launch at the Cape High Court last year was met with enthusiasm and we are able to continue our intention of delivering this much-needed service across the country," says Billy Last, CEO of LexisNexis South Africa.

An international workplace productivity survey conducted by the group in June and July 2010 found that 90% of legal professionals in South Africa said that not being able to access the right information at the right time was wasteful and impeded productivity. The survey revealed the majority of legal professionals do not bill the time spent on research as it would amount to too many billable hours and is therefore time not effectively used. With the need for legal professionals to work more efficiently identified, the group ensured it kept abreast of the latest online technology and developed the Wi-Fi facility to meet the needs of the transforming workplace.

"Stakeholders at the Johannesburg and Pretoria High Courts have long seen the need to assist in developing the legal industry as a whole and, in this case, through online connectivity. Working with the Department of Justice over the past year, we have been able to acquire the necessary permission to deliver these facilities to two more courts across the country. We look forward to continuing to support the needs of legal professionals by remaining committed as the leading content provider," says Last.

The Wi-Fi court facility is currently available at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria; South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg; Western Cape High Court; KwaZulu-Natal High Courts in Pietermaritzburg and Durban; and the Durban Magistrates' Court.

For more, go to www.lexisnexis.co.za.