Abstract
The South African judiciary’s introduction of the CaseLines and Court Online platforms marked a pivotal shift towards modernising its traditionally paper-based legal system. This study evaluates whether this transition has improved the efficiency and modernisation of legal practices within the Pretoria and Johannesburg High Courts. Adopting an interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative case study generated data through semi-structured interviews with eleven legal practitioners, court officials, and litigants. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and interpreted through the theoretical lens of the DeLone and McLean information systems success model. The findings reveal that although digitalisation has delivered significant benefits, including streamlined workflows, enhanced access to justice, and improved document security, its success is partial and incomplete. The high usability of CaseLines contrasts sharply with the poor technical quality and usability of Court Online. Persistent challenges, including human bottlenecks in digital workflows, inadequate institutional support, and infrastructural gaps, undermine these platforms’ potential, resulting in a pragmatic “hybrid reality” where digital and paper-based processes coexist out of necessity. The study concludes that while court operations have been modernised, the journey toward a truly efficient digital justice system requires addressing critical technical, human, and institutional challenges. The research provides evidence-based recommendations for judicial policymakers to enhance system design, user support, and infrastructure to realise the full potential of digitalisation.