Angola’s justice system, long plagued by delays, opacity, and limited public trust, is facing renewed scrutiny as the country pursues reforms to strengthen democratic governance.
A new proposal for Judicial Governance powered by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is sparking debate over how to modernise one of Angola’s most criticised public institutions.
Developed by researcher Denílson Duro as part of a Master’s degree at Agostinho Neto University’s Faculty of Law, the study—supported by the Centre for Research in Public Policy and Local Governance (CPPPGL)—sets out a bold vision for transforming Angola’s judiciary. Far from a simple digitisation project, it advocates systemic change: linking courts, prosecutors, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), legal aid, the Bar Association, and even traditional authorities into a unified, interoperable network.
“Computerisation is not enough; we must reformulate the way we think about justice,” argues Garapon (2001), a principle that underpins Duro’s holistic approach. By integrating data sharing and ensuring traceable processes, the model seeks to accelerate case resolution and reduce opportunities for corruption—issues seen as key drivers of public mistrust.
Prado (2016) notes that “technology can increase judicial transparency if accompanied by mechanisms for accountability and information access,” reinforcing the study’s call for cultural reform alongside digital tools.
Yet Angola’s past experience with e-governance raises caution. Efforts to digitalise identity systems and registries have often struggled due to imported solutions poorly adapted to local realities. Heeks (2002) warns that projects ignoring “local social, institutional, and cultural contexts” risk failure.
The proposal also grapples with Angola’s dual legal landscape, where formal courts coexist with traditional justice. Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2002) stresses that bridging these systems requires “intercultural translation” rather than assimilation, urging technology to serve inclusion rather than exclusion.
Sustainability remains another hurdle. Bekkers & Homburg (2007) caution that success “depends less on technology and more on political and financial capacity to maintain systems.” Angola’s fiscal constraints demand careful planning, multilateral support, and prioritisation.
Ultimately, Duro’s research argues that digital transformation can only succeed with strong political will, institutional leadership, and active civil society oversight.
It is not about replacing judges with machines, but ensuring no Angolan is denied justice due to inefficiency or corruption. The future of Angola’s judiciary, the study concludes, lies in reinventing itself—with ethics, innovation, and inclusion at its core.
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