In a complex multi-party litigation, legal practitioners controlled evidence publication themselves using Delium, streamlining proceedings and reducing costs significantly.
In a complex multi-party litigation, the Judge and counsel anticipated a lengthy hearing, initially estimated at 100 sitting days, with up to 3,000 documents required for court presentation. However, over 1 million documents were discovered, ultimately refined into a court bundle of 5,571 documents spanning 93,908 pages.
The litigators, counsel, and Judge had no prior experience with eTrials. They sought a solution that would:
- Reduce trial duration while maintaining full evidence functionality.
- Minimise costs compared to traditional eTrial solutions.
- Ensure courtroom efficiency despite the complexity of the case.
Following an investigation of available technologies, the parties selected Delium as the most suitable platform. Within 24 hours of selection, the Delium Hearing Case was live and accessible to all parties.
Delium was implemented with minimal hardware requirements, allowing all seventeen legal practitioners at the bar tables to use their own PC workstations, alongside dedicated setups for the Judge and witnesses.
From the start of the hearing, legal practitioners controlled the evidence presentation themselves, eliminating the need for a dedicated courtroom operator. This approach provided:
- Greater efficiency – Practitioners could pre-bundle and sequence evidence for smooth transitions.
- Seamless courtroom flow – Supporting lawyers controlled document publication, ensuring evidence was displayed precisely when needed.
- Strategic witness examination – Counsel could time document presentation to observe witness reactions.
Delium staff provided on-site support for the first week of trial, offering training and technical assistance. After that, remote support was maintained via:
- Real-time instant messaging for immediate assistance.
- Remote system access for troubleshooting, if needed.
Throughout the 158-day trial, Delium handled 12,658 publications without any technical failures or interruptions.
- Significant time savings – The Judge estimated Delium accelerated proceedings by at least 50%, likely more.
- Major cost reductions – The 34:1 cost-benefit ratio saved the parties approximately $3.9 million in legal fees.
- No trial disruptions – Delium operated seamlessly throughout the hearing, maintaining courtroom efficiency.
- Greater flexibility for legal teams – Control over evidence presentation enabled practitioners to work at the pace set by counsel.
- Minimal setup and operational costs – Each party paid only $250 NZD per day for the shared facility, with total Delium costs of $115,000 over 158 sitting days.
The presiding Judge recognised the substantial impact of Delium:
- “Delium accelerated proceedings by at least 50%, probably significantly more.”
- “The ability for legal practitioners to control document publication made the process seamless.”
- “Had evidence been presented conventionally, the trial would have taken much longer.”
By eliminating delays and putting control in the hands of legal teams, Delium transformed the efficiency of a high-stakes, document-heavy trial – delivering substantial cost and time savings without compromising accuracy or control.
