The digital transformation of justice is no longer a question of whether it will happen. Across Europe, courts, prosecution services and justice administrations are already investing in electronic files, digital services, interoperable systems and new technologies.
Register here for the Casedod Swiss Justice Forum on October 20th in KKL Luzern.
But a more fundamental question is emerging: What does it take to turn digital ambition into operational reality?
This is the question at the heart of the Casedoc Swiss Justice Forum 2026, taking place on 20 October at the KKL Luzern. Bringing together leaders and experts from Swiss justice, public administration, technology and international digital-government initiatives, the forum will explore what is required to build the operational foundations for the next generation of digital justice.
Digital justice needs an operational backbone
Digital justice is often discussed in terms of individual technologies: electronic filing, digital case files, portals, interoperability or artificial intelligence.
These capabilities matter. But technology alone does not create a digitally capable justice system. Behind every successful digital service are processes, responsibilities, information flows, governance structures and people working together. This is why the concept of an operational backbone is becoming increasingly important.
An operational backbone connects the different parts of the justice ecosystem so that processes can move across organisational and technological boundaries without creating new silos.
At the Swiss Justice Forum, Lesley Franck, Vice President at Canalix – Casedoc, and Marcus Groß, VP Go-to-Market at Canalix – Casedoc, will examine what this means in practice and why the next generation of Swiss justice needs a shared operational foundation. The objective is not to replace every existing system. It is to create the foundation that allows systems, processes and people to work together.
What is changing in Swiss justice?
The pressure for transformation is not coming from technology alone.
Justice organisations are facing a combination of rising case volumes, resource constraints, changing expectations from citizens and professionals, and rapidly developing technologies such as AI.
At the forum, Jacques Bühler, Strategic Consultant in Switzerland, will examine the forces shaping the Swiss justice system and the decisions that will influence its ability to deliver timely and high-quality justice in the years ahead.
The central challenge is therefore not simply: “How can we digitise another process?”
It is: “How do we build a justice system that can operate effectively in an increasingly digital environment?”.
Measuring where Switzerland stands
Transformation also requires an honest understanding of the starting point. At the Swiss Justice Forum, Christophe Koller, Projects Director at ESEHA, together with Marcus Groß, will take a data-driven look at the digitalisation of justice in Switzerland.
Using cantonal profiles, dashboards, case volumes and comparative data, the session will explore how differently Swiss cantons are organised and where they currently stand in their digital development. This perspective is particularly important in a federal justice environment.
Different institutions have different structures, priorities, technologies and levels of digital maturity. Understanding those differences is essential for designing transformation approaches that are realistic rather than purely theoretical.
From connected systems to a judicial platform
Interoperability is another major part of the conversation. For digital justice to work across institutional boundaries, systems need to be able to communicate, information needs to move securely, and organisations need trusted ways of working together.
Valdís Björk Friðbjörnsdóttir, CTO at Canalix – Casedoc, will explore this challenge in her session, “Introducing Judicial Platforms: From Rigid to Flexible Systems.”
The discussion goes beyond technical integration. A judicial platform also requires governance and trust — creating an environment in which processes, information and digital services can be connected across organisational and technological boundaries. The goal is a more connected justice ecosystem, supporting interoperability, digital sovereignty and collaboration.
Transformation does not have to mean a risky transformation programme
One of the most persistent challenges in public-sector technology is the perception that transformation requires a large-scale system replacement. But there is another approach.
At the forum, Lesley Franck will present “The Risk-Free Approach to Justice Transformation”, exploring how justice organisations can modernise their operations incrementally, with measurable improvements and without committing immediately to high-risk, large-scale programmes.
The focus is deliberately practical: What could a justice organisation improve within 90 days?
This approach shifts the conversation from transformation as a single destination to transformation as a series of achievable improvements. It also creates a way for organisations to demonstrate value early, learn from implementation and build momentum without placing the entire organisation behind one massive technology programme.
Iceland: from digital ambition to an operational reality
Perhaps the clearest international example discussed at the forum will come from Iceland.
Kolbrún Eir Óskarsdóttir, Specialist at Iceland’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, will present Iceland’s journey from digital ambition to a connected operational reality. The example centres on Iceland’s Justice Portal (Réttarvörslugátt), which connects police, prosecution services and court instances through a shared digital process.
The significance of the example goes beyond the technology itself. It demonstrates what becomes possible when institutions, processes and people are connected through a common digital foundation. And the transformation continues. Future developments include the digital delivery of official documents and communications to citizens and businesses.
For Switzerland, the Icelandic experience provides an opportunity to look beyond individual projects and consider a broader question: What can be learned from justice systems that have already moved from digital services towards connected digital operations?
The next chapter of Swiss digital justice
The discussions at the CASEDOC Swiss Justice Forum point towards a broader shift in how digital justice should be understood. The first phase of digital transformation was largely about digitising individual processes.
The next phase is about connecting the justice ecosystem. That means connecting:
People — judges, prosecutors, court staff, lawyers, administrators and citizens
Processes — from filing and case management to decisions, communication and enforcement
Institutions — courts, prosecution services, police and public administration
Information — ensuring that the right information is available securely where and when it is needed
Technology — creating an environment in which existing and new systems can work together
Governance — establishing the structures and trust required to make connected justice possible
This is what an operational backbone ultimately represents. Not another isolated application. Not technology for technology’s sake. But the foundation that allows digital capabilities to work together as part of a functioning justice system.
From vision to reality
The future of Swiss justice will not be created by technology alone. It will be created by the combination of strategy, governance, operational design, technology and collaboration.
The Casedoc Swiss Justice Forum 2026 brings these perspectives together in one conversation — from the current state of Swiss justice and its digital maturity, through platform thinking and pragmatic transformation, to international experience from Iceland.
The question is no longer whether justice should become digital. The more important question is: What operational foundation will make digital justice work — today, and for the next generation?
That is the conversation we will continue in Lucerne on 20 October 2026.
CASEDOC Swiss Justice Forum 2026
20 October 2026 | 09:00–14:30
KKL Luzern, Switzerland
Discover the programme and register for the Swiss Justice Forum.
