5/10/2010 Haaretz.

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Date: 2010.05.10
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Published 01:16 17.01.10 Latest update 06:24 17.01.10

Tel Aviv judges rage against 'big brother' software

Implementation of a government computerized office-management system criticized as surveyor.

By Tomer Zarc hin

Tags: Israel news
Judges in Tel Aviv last week c riticized the implementation of a government c omputerized office-management system, calling it a "big
brother" attempt to supervise their performance.

Judges from the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court's issued complaints with Judge Moshe Gal, head of the Courts Administration, about the
software "Net Hamishpat" - which the administration recently completed developing at a c ost of NIS 360 million and implemented at
the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court. Not all courts c urrently use this system.

The software is meant to save paper, streamline the work process for judges and offer time-management features to achieve better
servic e for users.

The magistrate's judges said the software was cumbersome, inadequate for their needs and slowed down their rate of work. They
also described it as a "big brother meant to supervise them."

According to the c omplaining judges, Gal told them they needed to get used to the system and wait until it is fully installed and
optimized, so that it may then be better adapted to their needs.

Some judges also said they had been barred from complaining about the system to the state c omptroller, who recently inquired about
the new system, its c ost and its advantages.

State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss submitted a draft of his report on the new software to the Courts Administration.

The judges who oppose the system's implementation said they feared he might complete his report before being warned about its
problems, as the judges define them.

The administration, when asked by Haaretz for a reac tion to the judges' grievances, said that once the system is fully implemented in
all c ourts it will improve performance. "The difficulties are a result of the need to adjust to a different work method and the fac t that
these are the initial stages of implementation," the administration's spokesperson said.

"Concerns, reservations and displays of dissatisfaction are to be expected," the spokesperson added. "These naturally subside over
time."

Lindenstrauss has been made aware of the complaints, the spokesperson said.

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