• Burkina Faso creates the “Criminal Justice System Module” to allow citizens to file complaints online starting 15 December 2025.

• The platform aims to reduce administrative delays, strengthen transparency and streamline judicial workflows.

• Burkina Faso ranked 175th out of 193 countries in the UN 2024 E-Government Development Index, highlighting the scale of digitalisation challenges.

Burkina Faso continues to accelerate its digital transformation as the country faces persistent obstacles to accessing justice. Authorities develop digital tools to simplify procedures, strengthen transparency and improve the responsiveness of judicial services nationwide.

The Ministry of Digital Transition and the Ministry of Justice announced on Tuesday, December 9, the completion of the “Parquet Module of the Criminal Justice System,” a platform designed to enable citizens to file complaints online with public prosecutors across Burkina Faso. The government plans to officially launch the system on December 15, 2025, in Ouagadougou.

Authorities present the Parquet Module as a major public-service modernisation tool. The platform will allow citizens to submit complaints remotely and will give judicial actors the ability to process cases securely and in an integrated manner, from initial filing to verdict. The solution aims to cut administrative delays, reinforce traceability and streamline the work of legal professionals.

The launch aligns with the government’s digital-transformation policy, pursued for several years. Authorities generalised the online criminal-record system in 2023, progressively digitised the penal chain and modernised the Justice Ministry’s information systems. The initiative also responds to structural constraints that continue to hinder access to justice, including slow procedures, congested clerks’ offices and mobility challenges in certain regions.

With the Module Parquet, authorities expect to offer citizens a smoother experience and reduce pressure on physical service counters. The platform should accelerate information flows, improve transparency in complaint processing and strengthen proximity between prosecutors and users. Over time, the data generated by the service will help authorities refine the management of the penal chain and support reforms aimed at making justice more accessible and efficient nationwide.

The United Nations’ E-Government Development Index, which measures online public-service delivery, telecom connectivity and human-capacity levels, ranked Burkina Faso 175th out of 193 countries in 2024 with a low score of 0.2895. The ranking highlights the scale of the remaining challenges in expanding digital public services.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum