Backlog of cases will remain if more Magistrates not appointed - official

Backlog of cases will remain if more Magistrates not appointed – official

Apr 07, 2014 News

Unless more Magistrates are called to the bench there is no way the heavy backlog of court cases will be alleviated.
This is the view of an official in the judicial system, who was responding to concerns that there are only 17 Magistrates to the 43 courtrooms across the country.

The city court has 11 courtrooms but only houses 8 Magistrates

Highlighting that the number of Magistrates is undeniably insufficient, the official said that it is a virtual impossibility for the courts to clear the backlog.
The official stated that the courts in the Berbice Magisterial District are sorely affected by the shortage and explained that the situation worsened about five months ago when one of the Magistrates stepped down from the bench.
“At present there are three courts in West Berbice – Weldaad, Fort Wellington and Blairmont – and they are all presided over by the one Magistrate who is also required at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court on the East Coast of Berbice”
The official said that there is also a Magistrate who has to facilitate daily sittings at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court and also Reliance on Wednesday. She is expected to preside at Sisters, on the East Bank of Berbice as well.
“There is (also) one Magistrate who presides at the Mahaica and Mahaicony Magistrate’s Courts while another is strapped with duties at both Vigilance and Coven Garden.”
The stakeholder pointed out too that the newly refurbished Georgetown Magistrates’ Court has the potential to facilitate proceedings in 11 courts but courtrooms 4, 11 and 12 are merely “gathering dust” since there are no Magistrates to occupy those courtrooms.
It was further explained that Vreed-en-Hoop is one of the courts without an assigned Magistrate and a few of the Magistrates who have duties at other courts have to share the dates.
At present, there is one Magistrate who sits at all interior (Lethem, Matthew’s Ridge, Kamarang, Mahdia) courts and another who presides over all the courts in Essequibo (Suddie, Charity, Wakenaam, Leguan).
The official explained that the shortage is felt too by other Magistrates who are assigned to more than one court.
“When there are other Magistrates who are asked to cover more than one court, the situation reinforces that the Magistrates are overworked. In reality, the demand is actually adding to the cases backlog.”
“At this point, there are some courts that are unable to facilitate hearings for the newly filed cases, since the Magistrates are working assiduously to clear the backlog.”
The official said too “this is at a time where more courts are created and re-commissioned but the question right now is who will preside at these courts? Expanding and expending monies for courts are not unheard of yet recruitment seems to be at a standstill.”
Lamenting that an overwhelming number of cases are hitherto unheard, the official claimed too that “even as the Magistrates go through the backlog and have High Court committals, there aren’t even enough judges to deal with the cases. Often times it takes years before the cases are called up.”
These concerns come at a time when emphasis is being placed on establishing courthouses during the recent budget preparations.
At the last re-commissioning at the Wales Magistrate’s Court, President Donald Ramotar
said that it is very important to provide these facilities to increase equal access for everyone in the service of the Court. The President articulated that timely dispensation of Justice is also very important.
“I have known about cases lying in the courts far too long and many, many cases not being heard…It’s almost painful when people are proven innocent eventually but would’ve spent a long time in incarceration because of the length of time that it would take for persons to get their cases heard,” Ramotar had said.
The Head of State lamented that equal access to the justice system is very important and that facilities similar to the Leonora court are being developed across the country because of the need to quicken the dispensation of justice to people everywhere so that their lives are not put on hold by cases that are in court.
However, the official questions the benefits of more courts when there is clearly a need for investment in the human resources.