Criminal Court backlog reaches 1,626 cases as judges handle 84 cases each

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) President Husnee Mubarik says more than 1,600 cases remain pending in the Criminal Court as the first half of this year has concluded.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of three newly appointed judges of the Criminal Court and two newly appointed judges of the Civil Court, Husnee said the Criminal Court had 1,626 pending cases during the first six months of this year.

He said 1,098 new cases were filed with the court this year. Without the three judges sworn in on Thursday, each judge was handling 84 cases as of Wednesday, with 15 new cases being assigned per month.

Husnee said the main reason for the JSC’s decision to appoint additional judges to the Criminal Court is the backlog created by the large number of cases each judge is required to hear, a situation similar to that of the Civil Court.

He noted that the Civil Court had heard about 2,000 cases in the first six months of this year.

The delay and prolongation of cases in the courts remains a matter of public concern. Some cases that have been ongoing for more than three years are still pending.