National Center for State Courts – Court Technology Bulletin, December 5, 2019 – “We are pleased to share the following post from our friend, the Hon. Judge Andrea Tsalamandris from Melbourne, Australia on “how technology can be used by judges and court administration to create efficiencies in our courts, and enhance access to justice. As a judge who was appointed to the County Court of Victoria (CCV) a few years before my 50th birthday, I was very pragmatic in embracing technology in my new role. I thought it was safe to presume that when I retired in twenty years’ time, I would not be working with paper court books or handwriting my signature on court orders.  My initial interest in technology was simply to see how it could make my life as a judge easier.  However, after attending an E-Courts Conference in the United States in 2018, my eyes were opened to the manner in which technology could be used within courts, to benefit court users, as well as judges and court staff.  Shortly after attending that conference, I was asked to chair a newly created IT committee at the CCV, to guide the court in our digital transformation. My teenage children thought this was hysterical, as they did not consider me to be in any way “tech-savvy”; and that was indeed true. But I was willing to learn and was keen to see, in practical terms, how technology could assist all areas of our court, from registry, to the courtroom and in chambers. Whenever I talk to people about our plans for the future, I invariably pose the question – what will we be doing in 5 years’ time? Most of us accept that change is coming, and that it is probably coming more quickly than any of us expect. Having spoken with other judges and court IT managers in Australia, USA, UK and UAE, here is a list of where I think we are heading…”