Belgian Court of Audit slams justice digitalisation

The Belgian Court of Audit has sharply criticised the ongoing digital transformation of the country’s justice department. A report has revealed significant flaws in strategy, governance, and consultant oversight.

A damning report by the Court of Audit has exposed severe shortcomings in the digital transformation of Belgium's justice system. While digitalisation efforts began in the early 2000s, projects have repeatedly failed to deliver results. Despite the last government’s recent efforts (including an estimated 140 million euro investment in 2023), fundamental issues are yet to be resolved. 

Chaos

The report particularly criticised the department of justice for failing to define a unified digitalisation strategy. This has led to fragmented projects and inefficient use of resources. Governance problems, including mistrust and competition among key players, were flagged as significant barriers to success. Furthermore, heavy reliance on consultants (which is crucial for a successful digitalisation), combined with poor oversight, has created risks of fraud, conflicts of interest and commercial influence.

The report also noted that administrative and IT systems remain outdated. There are insufficient tools to assess the sustainability of ongoing projects. Federal coordination is also weak: the government lacks a central digitalisation policy to align initiatives across departments.

Response

Justice minister Paul Van Tichelt acknowledged some of the findings but rejected claims about mismanagement, lack of oversight and misuse of funds. The Court of Audit, however, stood by its conclusions, citing clear evidence of systemic risks and inefficiencies.

Van Tichelt's ministry plans to implement an action plan to address the recommendations.

^{Justice Palace in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}