Courts sit empty in face of mounting case loads

(CNS): A catalogue of unforeseen circumstances resultedin two silent courtrooms this week, despite a mounting case load in the local criminal justice system. Although three trials were listed to take place in the Grand Court over this week and next in each of the main courthouse building rooms, with a third as back-up, last minute guilty pleas in a robbery trial and a mistrial in a corruption case saw the two scheduled cases end in less than two days. However, difficulties coordinating some 23 witnesses in a reserve trial regarding a fraudcase meant that it could not proceed either, leaving the courts empty for the next week.

Although cases are backing up for over a year for those on bail and close to ten months for those on remand, the number of variables in any trial means that the courts are unable to call any last minute cases.

While court staff and the judiciary have plenty to keep them occupied until the next timetabled cases, precious court time is being unavoidably wasted when the local justice system, as noted by the chief justice at the recent opening of the Grand Court, is falling short of international standards when it comes to the time line in disposing of cases.