In Search of Smartness: The EU e-Justice Challenge

Abstract

Abstract:At the EU level, an increasing number of resources are being invested in an attempt to provide better public services through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). While new tools are being designed and implemented, a shift from 'traditional' technologies that must be used to provide services to more interactive 'smart' technologies is beginning to take place. At the same time, an adequate understanding of the implications of this shift is still missing. This paper focuses on the EU e-Justice experience with the 'API-for-Justice' project, which investigates the challenges of opening up the European e-Justice Digital Service Infrastructure to external service providers by means of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). In particular, the exploration of potential services that can be provided by third parties through APIs for Justice shows the potential for a radical redesign of the justice service provision, where, for example, justice services are not requested by the party but are proposed or initiated by smart components of the infrastructure on the basis of inputs from the environment. In this perspective, smart technology research and, in particular, Brenner (2007)'s discussion on law and smart technology help to uncover the still unclear dynamics of change that characterize one of the key pillars of modern society: justice.

Connecting EU Jurisdictions: Exploring How to Open Justice Across Member States Through ICT

“…An example of the kind of services that can be enabled is provided by Velicogna (2017). In his hypothetical example, justice services functionalities are added to an APP providing nonjudicial services to the end user (search for best car rental opportunities).…”

“…Once completed and electronically signed, the APP could then submit the Claim Form through an API […] to the e-CODEX infrastructure and to the competent court, receive formal communications from the court and allow queries on the status of the procedure. (Velicogna, 2017, pp. 10–11)While the example provides a clear idea of the advantages that a third-party applications enabled justice services may provide, the API for Justice project team perceived the need for a more systematic approach to investigate and evaluate the potential to develop APIs and to support existing cross-border judicial procedures.…”

Natural Computing Applied to the Underground System: A Synergistic Approach for Smart Cities

“…(2, 5) 3 : 0. 3 (2, 1) 1 : 0.4 (2,6) The probability of internet lookup table at node i that has a radio link with node j is updated using the following equation:…”

“…Even the concept of Smart City is still being under constant redefinition, most authors agree that many different individuals, agents and devices, operate with their environment within the Smart City realm [4][5][6][7]. Therefore, as R. G. Hollands [8] points out, the relation among all of these elements will define the behaviour of the Smart City itself.…”

Natural Computing Applied to the Underground System: A Synergistic Approach for Smart Cities

“…Even the concept of Smart City is still being under constant redefinition, most authors agree that many different individuals, agents, and devices, operate with their environment within the Smart City realm [4,5,6,7]. Therefore, as R. G. Hollands [8] points out, the relation among all these elements will define the behavior of the Smart City itself.…”