Introduction
A court may accumulate a substantial amount of information through its daily operations, yet finding the right reference when a question arises can sometimes be challenging. During the author’s experience as a One-Stop Service Center (“PTSP”) staff member, questions would often arise: “Have we ever encountered a similar problem/question before?”
To illustrate further: in 2025, an information services officer receives a technical question from the public. Not knowing the answer, they ask a supervisor and receive guidance. A month later, another officer faces a similar question. Ideally, last week’s experience would have been documented and easily accessible, so the new officer could review it first before seeking final confirmation from a supervisor.
The answer may (and usually) exist somewhere, for example, across message histories between the official court WhatsApp account to the public seeking justice (parties or litigants) or simply in the memories of senior staff. This scenario raises a crucial question: how can a court preserve and share the knowledge generated from its day-to-day work?
The solution lies in building a digital knowledge base. This system not only stores formal documents but also records practical experiences, frequently asked questions, relevant references, and lessons learned from each issue.
Main Discussion
The writer is of the opinion that there are three main considerations when building this idea of a digital knowledge base, as follows:
1. Everyday Problems as Sources of Knowledge Base
A court generates knowledge through its day-to-day activities. A substitute clerk may encounter recurring issues in case processing. A PTSP officer may consult with a supervisor regarding the appropriate response to a specific question. An IT team member might, after 5 hours of messing with his/her laptop, finally find a solution to a technical problem which could then be documented so that other IT staff can address the same issue more efficiently in the future.
Although these questions may initially seem routine, they can reveal recurring information needs and practical challenges within the institution.
Some issues, however, may arise only occasionally once a week, once a month, or even once every few months and may not recur for a considerable period of time, making previous solutions difficult to recall when a similar situation emerges.
Solutions to these issues are not always documented in the court’s official administrative records. Sometimes, relevant knowledge is stored only in the memory of an experienced staff member, in conversations with a supervisor, in personal notes, or in informal messages.
A digital knowledge base can help preserve these experiences. Staff members can document the issues they encounter, the steps taken to resolve them, the guidance received, and relevant references. Over time, these entries can become a practical source of digital knowledge that supports operational continuity and reduces the need to solve recurring problems from scratch.
The goal is not to document every minor activity indiscriminately. Rather, the goal is to identify experiences that may be useful to other personnel, improve internal processes, or support the delivery of public services.
2. From Legal References to Practical Digital Knowledge Base
An institutional knowledge base should complement, not replace, written regulations and established procedures.
In fact, its development can begin with materials already available within the court. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and other administrative documents like decrees (Surat Keputusan) from the chairman of the court can serve as a starting point. Relevant regulations issued by the Supreme Court, including Supreme Court Regulations (PERMA), Decree of the Chief Justice (SK KMA), and other implementing provisions, can also be organized within the system.
This approach will enable the knowledge base to provide access to information that staff may need to locate across various documents, folders, or administrative channels. For example, staff assigned to the PTSP can search for procedures related to requests for copies of court decisions or requests for e-court account activation. The system can direct them to the applicable SOPs, technical guidelines, or regulations.
However, back to the first point, the knowledge base should not be limited to formal legal sources. Practical tips, or even a video or screen recording (tutorial) format, from day-to-day operational activities, should be added alongside existing documents.
Therefore, ideally, each entry should include information regarding its source, date, verification status, and scope of application. The goal is to create a structured resource that links formal written guidelines with the court’s very own practical experience, while maintaining the distinction between binding regulations and supporting information.
3. Artificial Intelligence as a Tool to Facilitate Access to Digital Knowledge Base
A basic knowledge base does not always require advanced technology. In the early stages, this knowledge base can be developed using structured databases, input forms, categories, keywords, search functions, and filters. The top priority is to ensure that information is reviewed by authorized personnel.
However, as the volume of information grows, users may have difficulty finding relevant entries. Conventional keyword searches generally work best when users know the exact terms used in the database. In practice, people often describe the same problem in different ways.
For example, a PTSP officer might search for “how to obtain a copy of a court ruling,” while the knowledge base might contain an entry categorized as “request for a copy of a court document.” Although the topics are similar, the phrasing may not be identical.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help address these limitations. AI-powered search systems can interpret questions phrased in everyday language. These systems can also summarize the information retrieved or suggest additional references for further review.
Nevertheless, AI-generated responses should not be considered authoritative conclusions. This is particularly important in judicial institutions, where a response may depend on the specific facts of a case. These systems will help personnel find practical references and regulations more efficiently; however, professional judgment, verification, and decision-making must remain in the hands of authorized officials.
Consequently, the development process can be carried out in phases. A court can start with existing SOPs, PERMA, KMA Decrees, technical guidelines, and other written materials. Next, the unit can expand the database by documenting frequently asked questions, administrative experiences, PTSP service issues, and technical solutions. Once this foundation is sufficiently organized, AI can be introduced to improve how staff search for, connect, and summarize the available knowledge base. Users of this system should treat the knowledge base as a starting point for finding relevant references and understand that any information obtained requires further consultation and confirmation from supervisors and/or related personnel rather than being regarded as a definitive answer.
Imagine this simplified illustration: before the digital knowledge base was available, a staff member might approach a supervisor with only 20% of the necessary understanding of an issue. With the system, the staff member could first review references and similar past issues and solutions, perhaps reaching 50%, before seeking further guidance. The remaining could then be discussed with a supervisor or the relevant personnel, making the consultation more productive.
At the same time, a digital knowledge base must address data privacy and confidentiality. Therefore, access to such information must be properly controlled. Measures such as masking personal data, determining which types of data may be transferred to external AI APIs and which should instead be processed using locally deployed AI, as well as applying encryption or appropriate levels of anonymization, should be carefully considered.
Conclusion
To summarize, there are three main considerations when building such a knowledge base. First, practical issues, including both recurring and infrequent ones, and their solutions are documented digitally. Second, written legal regulations and SOPs should also be inserted into the knowledge base. Third, AI enables this system to be built faster, while also enhancing its functionality, such as improving searchability or summarization. Nonetheless, the author acknowledges that discussion on data privacy protection requires further discussion.
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