It has to be said that 2020 will always be remembered as being one of the worst years most of us have experienced. The number of deaths in SA, and globally, caused by the pandemic; sickness; grief; and poverty overshadow everything else and we live in hope that the worst is over. That said we must move on, look for the good, and rebuild. On a personal and business front, many, many lessons have been learnt. Family and friends assume even greater importance than before and the way we all work has come under scrutiny. Striking that “life work balance” is paramount and we have learned new ways such as virtual meetings and hearings, remote working etc. What has not changed is corruption and financial crime, litigation, arbitrations, competition cases and more. They continue and in some instances the pandemic has caused increases in these matters. Therefore, eDiscovery technology has been used more than at anytime in South Africa since I have been here and for that I am truly delighted. We now have Microsoft and Amazon hosting cloud services here in South Africa and we have POPIA all of which will support the principle of eDiscovery in SA. This year, more than any other, I have seen eDiscovery technology working on more cases and investigations and the level of interest is greater than ever before. I have mentioned, on a number of occasions that eDiscovery technology is being used in the Zondo Commission on State Capture and now through the NPA, following evidence heard at the Commission. In another post I spoke of a new player in the eDiscovery space in SA, Insiox, and I suggested we all keep an eye on their development. The first evidence of this has already been seen as they are running a Graduate programme on combatting corruption and financial crime . I wholeheartedly applaud this initiative and it is the kind of programme I have witnessed in other parts of the world but usually by only the largest players. Really excellent and hopefully creating quality technology jobs in SA. On a personal level, most of my year has been spent on my book on eDiscovery but I will talk about that later. I was delighted to participate as a speaker on Legal Innovation and Tech Fest online and I have advised an increasing number of law firms and individuals this year on eDiscovery related matters. A large law firm has engaged me to advise and assist them regarding all aspects of eDiscovery with the aim of creating a consistent strategy across the firm. This is one of the most exciting engagements I have had since being here and I am so looking forward to seeing the relationship develop next year. By far the best news on eDiscovery in SA in 2020 is the South Africa Law Reform Commission’s (SALRC) paper on legal fees which includes a section on eDiscovery and a specific recommendation that it should be incorporated into our Uniform Rules. Especially pleasing is that organisations such as Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), Medical Protection Society (MPS), Road Accident Fund (RAF) as well as individual organisations including Absa and ENS Africa are all quoted as being in favour of eDiscovery coming into the rules as a method of reducing legal fees. This is such big news for me as I have felt like a lone voice for a long time but now, I feel there is significant pressure on the Task Team at the Rules Board to make progress on amending the rules to include eDiscovery. This leads me to my final comment in this post about my book, A Guide to eDiscovery in South Africa. To anyone who does not know, the book has been commissioned by Lexis Nexis and is written by myself and my co-author and friend, Ismail Hussain SC. Pausing there for a moment, both of us were thrilled to note that we are separately referred to in the SALRC Discussion Paper above. In my case there is a reference to my article on the subject published in De Rebus. The current position is that the book is completed and in the final stages of editing by Lexis Nexis and due for publication early in the New Year. My excitement has been heightened by some more amazing news! Judge Jody Kollapen, Chairperson of SALRC and High Court and Constitutional Court Judge, is to write the Foreword for the book. He said that he would be “honoured” to do so. Wow, if he is honoured how do you think I feel that such an eminent and important legal person in SA is to endorse the book. Frankly I am blown away. Reverting to the title of this post, perhaps you can see, now, why eDiscovery in SA has had its best year and if eDiscovery has, then so have I, as it is my absolute passion. 2021 already looks to me that it could surpass this year on eDiscovery – let us see. Unless something incredible happens between now and the end of the year this is likely to be my last post of 2020. I repeat my heartfelt sadness as to the effects of the pandemic on South Africa and the rest of the world and hope and pray that we can see an end to it during 2021. Enjoy the festive season as much as is possible with loved ones but above all stay safe. Sincere thanks for continuing to read my blog.