On October 7, 2019 the employees of the RA Investigative Committee left for the Republic of Lithuania to take part in the educational program on electronic pretrial proceeding organized with TAIEX of European Commission.

Within the event they visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prosecutor General's Office, Criminal Police and Expert Center of the Police of Lithuania. Within the visit the activity of the Department of Information Technology and Communication of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania, the program of electronic pretrial proceeding (integration of criminal proceedings), its legal bases, peculiarities of operation as well as the authorities of Lithuania Police , technical capabilities were studied.

It should be mentioned that the system of electronic pretrial proceeding (integration of criminal proceedings) which is official, moreover the electronic documents are considered mandatory, paper versions – additional.

Trial is planned to make electronic beginning from 2020 planning separate program provision. Thus, the whole pretrial proceeding, prosecutorial supervision and judicial control are carried out through the above mentioned system – in an electronic way.

The bases for integration criminal proceedings are the Criminal Procedure Code of Lithuania, Law “On Information Resource Management” and other legal acts.

The Criminal Procedure Code of Lithuania has been amended with a new separate article which regulates the peculiarities of application of information and electronic communication technologies in criminal proceeding.

The electronic version of pretrial proceeding is defined by the joint order of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor General of Lithuania agreed with Judicial Council and Board of Advocates.

Legislation clearly states requirements to electronic documents, they are signed with a protected electronic signature. Each electronic document has its code which confirms its authenticity. With the mentioned code everyone can verify the authenticity of electronic documents in the state electronic archive.

Databases conducted in state bodies are attached to the program of electronic preliminary investigation. As a result, the investigator immediately gets the required information.

The program also has a timing reminder mechanism, a notification mechanism of instructions received from prosecutor as well as a system of prohibition on actions in case the investigator tries to do an action with violation of law. For example, if the investigator tries to conduct a confrontation with a person who has not been interrogated previously the system reminds in which case the confrontation can be conducted. Or if the investigator makes a final act it does not allow to withdraw the case until the mandatory decisions are filled and etc.

On the whole, the program is quite simple, available and easily applicable, by the application of the program human, time and material resources are saved.

In the framework of the program practical skills in the sphere of electronic pretrial proceeding were obtained, particularly on capabilities of usage of specific software. At the same time, contacts have been established with the appropriate employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prosecutor General's Office and the Police of Lithuania for further cooperation.  Due to the established contacts it will also be possible to receive necessary technical, methodological aid related to the electronic pretrial proceeding.

It will be possible to introduce the experience obtained in the result of participation in the event in the Republic of Armenia – within improvement of electronic preliminary investigation program in the Investigative Committee as well as in administration of electronic justice planned in Armenia.