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| …hopes backlog reduction strategy will be developed in timely manner By Nadia Guyadeen President of Guyana Bar Association (GBA), Teni Housty, says that he is shocked to see that at the end of 2007 there were 21,366 civil matters pending in the High Court, noting that the numbers will be even higher when the cases filed in 2008 are added.However, he believes that the backlog can be reduced under the current reform of the justice sector.According to him, the Justice Sector Reform Strategy includes the development of a backlog reduction strategy.Housty added that part of the backlog reduction strategy will be to employ information technology as a method to decrease the time a case takes to be completed.He also stated that he hopes that in another few months that a strategy will be developed but before that happens, Guyana may require assistance from countries that would have successfully tackled the problem.Housty also pointed out that consultations will be commencing this week on new court rules and one of the recommendations is the introduction of recording equipment to be used throughout the trial instead of the Judge writing the witness’s statements.“I hope that in six months’ time or at least by November the picture will look completely different and at least a strategy will be developed.”He said that it is a very serious situation as there is already a huge backlog and new matters are being added all the time.Housty stated that part-time or temporary judges would also help the situation.According to Housty, the Mediation Centre and its facilities are being under-utilised and there is need for a comprehensive “action plan’ making mediation compulsory.The Supreme Court’s Annual Report for 2007 states that at the end of that year there were 21,366 civil matters and 512 criminal matters pending for 2008.Of the civil matters, only 72 went to the Mediation Centre for 2007.According to the report, if two judges were to hear and conclude one civil matter every day for the 249 working days of the year, this would mean that a total of 498 matters would be completed.However, it added, this is not possible, since civil matters in the High Court sometimes involve complex issues which require hearing of evidence over a number of days.“Assuming for the sake of argument that two judges could complete these matters, including delivery of decisions, it would mean that, deducting this number from the 5,600 cases filed, the average backlog would be 5,102,” the report said.It also pointed out that given the assignment of work, the present number of judges is inadequate to deal with the number of cases filed.“Every effort must therefore be made to increase the present complement of judges,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, and to utilise the provisions of Article 128A of the Constitution to appoint part-time judges.” |
