Computer technology is helping to tackle a backlog of cases and is leading to speedier justice, the Supreme Administrative Court says.

One year after bringing in computers to monitor its caseload, judges in seven out of nine administrative courts upcountry are now able to finish their cases sooner.

The computers make it convenient to check dates on which petitions are lodged and important schedules, including when verdicts are to be handed down.

"This allows the judges to design work plans," Supreme Administrative Court president Hassawut Withitwiriyakul said.

Before using computers, both the Supreme Administrative Court and its 10 primary courts in Bangkok and upcountry were hampered by heavy case loads.

The court's strategy management unit, which opened in 2001, said primary courts had accepted 60,325 cases over that time, but had been able to finish only 50,163, or 83%, of them.

A backlog was encountered by the Supreme Administrative Court. It had accepted 21,548 cases since 2001 but only processed 14,157 (66%) of them.

However, after the introduction of computer-based case monitoring on Jan 1 last year, seven primary courts were able to clear all cases that had came before them last year.

The Chiang Mai Administrative Court accepted 578 cases last year but handled 644 cases in all, including those before 2012.

The same pattern was also seen at many other administrative courts.

Mr Hassawut said he intended to have judges settle all important cases within the next two years.

Not only do the judges benefit from the online inspection of cases, but parties in legal battles can check the progress of their complaints online, he said