Courts in nine locations across Japan will use Microsoft Teams to expedite evidentiary proceedings from February 2020, as part of a digital transition promoted by Japan’s Supreme Court. The collaboration platform will enable participants to contribute more effectively. 

Previously, court case participants who lived in remote locations  joined the evidentiary proceedings via telephone calls or video conferencing. However, this made it very difficult, if not impossible, to see their facial expressions. Many people also had to travel to nearby courthouses to access videoconferencing capabilities due to the limited connectivity. These issues with time and cost have led to trial postponements. 

The new integration of Teams aims to mitigate this by enabling participants to look at documents simultaneously, see each other more clearly and discuss key points. 

“As client data is stored at a Microsoft data centre in Japan, even domains with strict oversight policies such as those of central and local governments, public agencies, and medical and educational facilities, can safely use Teams with confidence,” said Tomonari Sato, public sector lead at Microsoft Japan.

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