Estonian e-File system

The e-File is an online information system which allows parties to legal proceedings and their representatives to electronically submit documents to courts and to observe the progress of the proceedings related to them. 

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Summary 

The e-File is an online information system which allows parties to legal proceedings and their representatives to electronically submit documents to courts and to observe the progress of the proceedings related to them. For example, a single parent can apply for alimony without making a trip to the court house.

Enabling assets or components 

Relevant Enablers
Estonian data exchange layer for information systems (X-Road)
Estonian Public Key Infrastructure
Estonian Catalogue of Public Sector Information (RIHA)
Estonian three-level IT baseline security system ISKE

Legal interoperability
Establishment of the e-file system, RT I, 17.11.2011, 5, https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/117112011005?leiaKehtiv
Socio-cultural influence factors
• Data guidelines of Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate (http://www.aki.ee/et/juhised) must be followed.
• Technically, the E-File is a central storage of electronic documents and metadata that is inserted by the users of the information systems of different authorities in justice system. The storage of metadata related to all electronic documents, procedural operations and communication between information systems is the key of the simple electronic information exchange. The information exchange between these information systems and the E-File is based on X-Road, secure data exchange infrastructure established and supported by the state. The use of X-Road ensures complete security of the exchange of data and guarantees that the information is inviolate from the moment of inserting it until the moment when it is stored in E-File.
• Information from the e-File pertaining to oneself can be queried without limitations and free-of-charge. Parents can make free-of-charge queries about their minor children.
• Making a query about someone else requires the forename, surname and persona ID code of that natural person or the name and Business Registry code of that legal person.
• A query made about another person without that person’s authorisation is for a fee (the price of a query from the e-File is 4 euros). Queries can be made one by one; queries for a fee can be paid for via the same environment by using online banking before ordering the query. Queries are replied to within two business days.
• You can authorise another natural person (e.g. a representative of the employer) to query for data. By granting this authorisation in the e-File system, the authorised person can make free-of-charge queries about the principal via the e-File. Such an authorisation allows the employer to get more information about the employee than with a paid query.

Data handling / data exchange

Type of data sharing

Actual data

Data handler

Architecture

Data architecture:

Different online systems communicate with the e-File via the X Road exchange layer ensuring secure data exchange. E-File can only be accessed by using services: there are services for entering information, searching and viewing data. By using web services, each participant in the proceeding process and organization communicating with the e-File, has the freedom to create the most suitable user interface.
From an infrastructure standpoint, the application and database servers are backed up and physically separated, to ensure high availability. E-File uses Oracle databases and it is programmed in C# with . NET framework.

Only the ID card or the Mobile ID can be used for logging into the e-File system. The e-File system grants the procedural parties access to only those cases which are directly related to the person.

Police, prosecution offices, courts, prisons, probation supervision, bailiffs, legal aid system, tax and customs board, state share service centre – all these institutions use the same central information system as their own information systems are connected to E-File.

Steps necessary for using the service
• The legal person joining the RIHA;
• The legal person joining the X-road system;
• The legal person applying for an X-road certificate;
• The legal person ordering the use of the X-road service;
• Interfacing the legal person’s information system with the X-road service.


Linking registers:

Population Register
Address Data System
Register of taxable persons
Criminal Records Database

Lessons learned

• Secure data exchange layer for confidential and legally binding data needed.
• Registers and metadata of registers must properly described.
• Digital Court File is a future development of E-File that has already been initiated. It is part of the fully paper-free court proceeding project started in the end of 2013. While the Court Information System is a system for inserting data, collecting information and conducting the proceedings, Digital Court File will be an everyday tool for judges and court staff that will replace entirely the court file on paper.

Source: https://scoop4c.eu/cases/estonian-e-file-system

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is a result of the SCOOP4C Pilot Project, not an application of a CEF Building Block.

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