Prosecutor General (PG) Hussain Shameem has stated he wishes to establish a digital portal for the public to submit cases to courts, and break the practice of carrying printed charge sheets to courts.
The prosecutor general said 45 cases were sent to court over the past month even during the lockdown. Noting all 77 charge sheets were submitted to the court online, Shameem said it will be a good practice to adopt even after the lockdown is lifted. He called on the judiciary to work together to avoid using paper in efforts to minimize contact and stay safe and carry work online.
Amidst the lockdown, PG charged 11 individuals with attempting to smuggle 61 kilograms of drugs into Maldives. PG Shameem said the case involved over 500 charge sheets in connection to the case. Stating that the work took a lot of time and effort, he urged the sector to embrace technology as it saves both cost and time.
One recent positive change in embracing technology in the judiciary is the decision it took to carry trials online at PG Office during the lockdown. In this regard, PG Office has established 4 audio and video systems to run the court hearings online.