Wi-fi set to help judges at the Supreme Court of Appeal

In a project endorsed by the Department of Justice, LexisNexis first pioneered its Wi-Fi project in 2012. To date it has equipped 12 courts with wi-fi infrastructure and mobile access to legal content, including the Constitutional Court, seven High Courts and three Magistrate's Courts.

Billy Last, CEO of LexisNexis South Africa, said: "The launch at South Africa's highest court on non-constitutional matters is historical, as it means that judges at South Africa's pre-eminent courts, the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court of South Africa, now have easy online access to legal information. This will save them time and aid their efficiency as they oversee some of the nation's most important legal proceedings."

Last referred to an international workplace productivity survey conducted by LexisNexis in 2010, which revealed 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.

"Legal professionals find having to do research away from court - where they spend the vast majority of their time - time-consuming. The take-up since 2012 has been significant, with many lawyers reporting that they are saving valuable time and improving their legal service to clients," he added.

Daily free data bundles

The Supreme Court of Appeal's LexisNexis wi-fi hot spot will allow court users to connect to the wireless network freely without needing a 3G network or a mobile device. They will receive daily free data bundles to access any internet site quickly and conveniently or use their MyLexisNexis and LexisMobile accounts to access legal reference material.

Said Last: "Our driving mission every day is to provide the information, content and tools that enable legal professionals, and those in the tax and accounting, government, academic and corporate sectors, to uphold the rule of law."

He said the Wi-Fi project was one of a number of LexisNexis digital innovations that aim to uphold the rule of law and make the profession more efficient. They include sophisticated, but user-friendly, online research tools, digital libraries, mobile solutions and apps, alongside traditional print solutions.

The company also pioneered a digital self-help kiosk for court users at the Durban High Court and has provided tech resources to more than 70 newly qualified, previously disadvantaged advocates since 2012 through its Enterprise Development project, which is endorsed by the General Council of the Bar of South Africa and Advocates for Transformation.

The 12 courts now boasting LexisNexis wi-fi hot spots are: the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Constitutional Court, the Johannesburg Magistrates Court, Pretoria Magistrates Court, Durban Magistrates' Court, North Gauteng High Court; South Gauteng High Court; Western Cape High Court, Bloemfontein High Court, Mahikeng High Court and the KwaZulu-Natal High Courts in Pietermaritzburg and Durban.