Justice and Administration Minister Ivan Malenica on Tuesday unveiled a project which state agency Hina described as "aimed at improving the quality of the judicial system through further modernization."

“The project will include an upgrade of the criminal records system, an upgrade of the court register, and the modernization and digitization of judicial bodies by launching e-courtrooms, getting new equipment and further developing the probation system,” Malenica was quoted as saying.

The value of the project is 48.7 million kuna (€6.5m) and it is co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Malenica said that the e-courtroom pilot program would make it possible for court hearings to be held remotely, while electronic surveillance of persons remanded in pre-trial custody would considerably ease the burden on the prison system.

New medical equipment will be purchased for the prison hospital, training courses will be held on the administration of first aid and the prevention of infectious diseases inside the prison system, and a survey on the recidivism rate would be carried out inside the prison and probation system. To improve the use of IT technology in the judicial system, 140 sets of speech recognition software, 500 desktop computers, and as many laptops will be purchased.

Malenica said that court presidents would undergo further training in court management.