Judicial Service Commission (JSC) President Hussain Riza Adam has urged the entire judiciary to pull in the same direction to solve the mounting backlog in cases.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony of new High Court Judge Abdulla Jameel Moosa, Riza urged judges to uphold judicial integrity and ensure impartiality in judicial decisions to maintain public confidence in the justice system.
During his address, he highlighted the mounting backlog in the judicial courts, admitting that the issue stems from the whole system including the prosecution, Attorney General, Police Service, Maldives Correctional Service and defense attorneys.
"All these parties are behind this backlog. Sometimes witnesses are not present, experts are not brought or interpreters are not available. There are many other reasons. And this problem cannot be tackled by the courts alone. We need to double our efforts. If one shift is insufficient, we need to work in double shifts,” he explained.
Noting that the delay in the judicial process remains the biggest public Riza revealed that JSC is now gathering statistics on the ongoing cases of the courts every three months to avoid prolonged delays.
He also asked the courts to include the reasons for the cancellation of hearings when the report is sent to the JSC in September.
"When reports are sent to the JSC in September, usually the courts explain the reasons behind prolonged delays in cases. So I urge you to clearly list down the reason. We can only offer treatment if the disease is properly known,” he said.
Courts in Numbers:
High Court - 11 judges - 981 cases
Criminal Court - 11 judges - 2051 cases
Civil Court - 17 Judges - 4077 cases
Family Court - 7 judges - 214 cases
Juvenile Court - 3 judges - 21 cases
Drug Court - 5 judges - 1330 cases
In addition to these cases, the JSC has also noted that there are pending death penalty cases being heard at the Supreme Court.
Delivering the Presidential Address earlier this year, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu highlighted that delays in hearings and issuing verdicts are among the greatest challenges faced by the judicial system. The new Hulhumale’ Superior Court Complex aims to address these issues, with the President pledging to commence its construction within the year.
The government is also working on necessary legal reforms to ensure that the judiciary, one of the three branches of the State, remains a trusted pillar of the nation.