Between Silos and Networks: Digital Infrastructures and Reconfiguration of Expertise in the Belgian Justice System

This article investigates how the introduction of the Mammoet at Central Hosting (MaCH) digital case-management system reshapes expertise within the Belgian road traffic criminal justice supply chain. Conceptualizing the supply chain as a multi-level network comprising interconnected yet institutionally distinct actors, the study draws on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and boundary work perspectives. It employs a qualitative, multi-case approach to analyze how MaCH mediates professional practices among judges, prosecutors, clerks, and technologists. Findings reveal that MaCH significantly streamlines administrative tasks before and after court hearings, redistributing responsibilities and prompting shifts in professional expertise boundaries. Judicial professionals strategically adopt a "protective connectedness" approach, balancing collaboration with boundary protection to preserve core expertise and maintain control over critical decision-making processes. Ultimately, the article contributes to understanding digitalization’s complex role in reconfiguring professional expertise in supply chain judicial contexts.