From paper loyalty to digital confidence: a new and improved experience for users of Armenia’s justice system

In Armenia, when a baby is born and a new parent needs a birth certificate, or when someone buys a house and needs to verify the agreement, or when an entrepreneur starts a new company, it's the Armenian justice system they turn to.

With an average of over 19,000 cases per month, the Armenian courts, notaries and registry offices play a vital role in the country's fabric, serving a population of approximately 3 million.

Today, Armenians who are seeking judicial services can expect a smoother, more transparent experience, as courts' operations are increasingly digitalized. Outdated technology has been replaced, systems integrated, and services increasingly automated.

When citizens and businesses now turn to the court system, they fill out digital forms and get a case number they can track online. They no longer must endure excessive wait times or make repeated visits to the court for the same matter.

This experience is a powerful example of how digital governance can remove barriers, empower professionals, and foster trust in public systems.

Meet Deputy Minister of Justice Oksanna Abrahamyan, the woman behind the modernization program that, among other things, is currently digitizing records from the civil registry -a significant shift from the previous paper-based system, which often made it difficult for citizens to access documents in a timely and transparent manner.

Under her leadership, and with the support of the World Bank, the Ministry is currently working to extend the digitalization of its operations to other parts of its services, including archives, notaries, and penitentiaries.

For Deputy Minister Abrahamyan, the change is meaningful as it has helped transform justice provision into a service that creates a better experience for their people. But improving services has not been easy. It took considerable effort to convince officials across the justice system that shifting from paper to digital records is a worthwhile move:

Other parts of the Armenian government also have been making the journey towards modernizing public services. The State Revenue Committee began integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its tax administration, using AI to read invoices, detect fraud rings, and flag anomalies like duplicate filings and identity mismatches, all of which help to raise tax compliance. The Ministry of Interior Affairs is working to design a digital system through which citizens can easily manage their citizenship and life events.

Since its inception in 2022, the World Bank's Fourth Public Sector Modernization project in Armenia has received complementary financial support from the Governance & Institutions Umbrella Program (G&I), a multi-donor partnership program administered by the World Bank. Through the G&I grant 'Public Sector Modernization and GovTech to Enhance Transparency, Accountability, and Access to Services in Armenia', the government is receiving technical assistance and policy recommendations to digitally transform its public administration at the central and local government levels.

A G&I-funded report advised the Ministry of Justice on the legal and regulatory changes needed to make its e-Notary system work better. Now, both citizens and businesses can use the electronic filing system at any time of the day and night to obtain notary services. As Narek Tovmasyan's testimonial above showcases, addressing these critical areas not only improves public service delivery but also helps drive job creation in Armenia by making it easier to register and run a business.

The Government of Armenia and the World Bank are continuing to work together on projects like these, aiming to enhance the efficiency of public services, expand access to information, foster innovation, and simplify administrative processes. Service portals and mobile platforms play a central role in creating more economic opportunities, building trust in public institutions, attracting investments, and often generating new jobs for citizens. The efforts also promote transparency, strengthen civic engagement, and ensure that all members of society, including those who are marginalized, can easily access essential public services.