ATJ Technology Principles
The Access to Justice Technology Principles were developed by the Access to Justice Board to ensure that technology enhances rather than diminishes access to and the quality of justice for all persons in Washington State. Comments of the Access to Justice Board committee drafters accompanying the Principles make clear the intent that the Principles are to be used so as to be practical and effective for both the workers in and user of the justice system, that the Principles do not create or constitute the basis for new causes of action or create unfunded mandates. These Principles have been endorsed by the Board for Judicial Administration, the Judicial Information System Committee, the Board of Trustees of the Superior Court Judges’ Association, the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association, the Minority and Justice Commission, the Gender and Justice Commission, the Attorney General, and the Council on Public Legal Education.
Summary of the Principles
I. Requirement of Access to Justice: Use of technology must promote, and not reduce, equal access.
Full-text of the first principle.
II. Technology and Just Results: The justice system must use technology to achieve the objective of a just result achieved through a just process and reject, minimize, or modify any use that impairs achieving it.
Full-text of the second principle.
III. Openness and Privacy: Technology in the justice system should be designed and used to meet the dual responsibilities of being open to the public and protecting personal privacy.
Full-text of the third principle.
IV. Assuring a Neutral Forum: The justice system must ensure the existence of neutral, accessible and transparent forums which are compatible with new technologies, and discourage and reduce the demand for the use of those which are not.
Full-text of the fourth principle.
V. Maximizing Public Awareness and Use: The justice system should promote public knowledge and understanding of the tools afforded by technology to access justice.
Full-text of the fifth principle.
VI. Best Practices: Those governed by the principles must use ‘best practices’ to guide their use of technology.
Full-text of the sixth principle.
