MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1993
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WAITING TIME FOR HIGH COURT CRIMINAL TRIALS REDUCED
DESPITE THE GREAT INCREASE IN CRIMINAL CASES IN HIGH COURT, THE JUDICIARY HAD REDUCED THE WAITING TIME FOR TRIAL FROM 12 TO EIGHT- AND-A-HALF MONTHS SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR TI LIANG YANG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 1993 LEGAL YEAR HELD AT THE CITY HALL, SIR TI LIANG SAID THE INCREASING TIME BETWEEN THE FILING OF CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS IN THE HIGH COURT AND THE FIRST DAY OF TRIAL HAD ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
"THERE HAS BEEN, AND CONTINUES TO BE, A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE
IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS FILED IN EVERY YEAR.
"IN 1987, 234 INDICTMENTS WERE FILED AND IN 1992 THE NUMBER HAS RISEN TO OVER 400. IN EACH YEAR THE INCREASE HAS BEEN IN THE ORDER OF 15 PER CENT OVER THE YEAR BEFORE,' HE SAID.
"
SIR TI LIANG MAINTAINED THAT *THE REDUCTION OF WAITING TIME FROM 12 TO EIGHT-AND-A-HALF MONTHS WAS STILL NOT SATISFACTORY, BUT THIS WAS THE BEST THE JUDICIARY COULD DO AT THE MOMENT.
"BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO MOVE DISTRICT JUDGES TO SIT IN THE HIGH COURT AND MAGISTRATES TO SIT IN THE DISTRICT COURT, WAITING TIMES FOR CIVIL CASES IN THE HIGH COURT, AND FOR CASES
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL, DISTRICT COURT, MAGISTRATES COURTS AND THE TRIBUNALS HAVE GONE UP SOMEWHAT BUT ARE STILL ACCEPTABLE BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, HE SAID.
**
YEAR,
THE CHIEF JUSTICE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE COURSE OF LAST THE JUDICIARY WAS ABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIVE JUDGES BY TWO FROM 20 TO 22, AND ONE SUPERNUMERARY.
HAD CONTINUED, THAT NUMBER WOULD BE MADE TO THE
HOWEVER, AS THE INCREASE IN WORK WAS CLEARLY INSUFFICIENT NOW AND APPLICATION ADMINISTRATION FOR MORE POSTS TO BE CREATED.
P
"THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF JUDGES LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST SINCE THE YEAR 1981 WHEN THE NUMBER WAS INCREASED FROM 15 TO 20, HE RMPHASISED.
SIE TỈ LUANG THẦN ELABORATFU ON THE MEASURES THAT HAD BEEN DECIDED ON OR IMPLEMENTED IN THE JUDICIARY'S LISTING SYSTEM SO AS ΤΟ ACHIEVE A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF COURT TIME.
"WE NOW HAVE A RUNNING LIST FOR SHORT CRIMINAL CASES WHERE THE ACCUSED IS REPRESENTED BY THF DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AID. THIS IS DESIGNED SO THAT SUCH CASFS MAY BE DISPOSED OF EXPEDITIOUSLY AND DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT BEHIND TONG TRIALS.
"THE SYSTEM OF PRE-TRIAL REVIEW FOR CRIMINAL CASES APPEARS то BE WORKING WELL. THIS SERVES TO TRIM OFF MANY SIDE OR PRELIMINARY ISSUES BEFORE THE ACTUAL TRIAL COMES ON, WE ARE NOW CONSIDERING THE FEASIBILITY OF PRE-TRIAL REVIEWS FOR CIVIL CASES.
/"WHILST WE