–‘That must have a monumental impact on efficiency and speed in the judicial system’, AG Nandlall says
By Feona Morrison
IN an effort to alleviate the massive backlog in the judiciary, the government has announced plans to appoint 17 new judges to the Supreme Court of Judicature.
The composition of the Supreme Court comprises the High Courts in each of the three counties and a Court of Appeal. This measure is a part of a wider endeavour to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of the legal system, which has witnessed substantial rises in caseloads over the past few years. The appointments, which are expected to be concluded in the coming months, will encompass judges for both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
During an appearance on the Energy Perspectives Podcast this week, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC announced that President Dr Irfaan Ali will appoint 12 judges to the High Court next month.
He emphasised that this is the highest number of judges ever added to the judicial system. Another five justices will be appointed to the Appeal Court in the coming three months.
“So, you have 12, the largest complement of judges ever added to an existing status of judges…then we have about five more who are likely to be appointed at the Court of Appeal. So, in three months, you will have 17 additional judges. That must have a monumental impact on efficiency and speed in the judicial system,” Nandlall, who is also the legal affairs minister, stated.
Since its reconstitution, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has overseen a meticulous selection process to ensure the appointment of highly qualified judicial officers.
In February, nine lawyers, many of whom served in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as state counsel, were appointed to serve as magistrates.
Three magistrates were elevated to Commissioners of Titles (Land Court Judges) recently and have been posted at the High Courts in Berbice and Essequibo.
There are now at least six appellate judge vacancies at the Court of Appeal, as a result of the Court of Appeal Act being amended last year to increase the number of judges.
Under the old law, the Court of Appeal was to have no less than two judges and no more than five. However, the modified legislation stipulates that the minimum and maximum number of Justices of Appeal are now five and nine, respectively.
In addition to adding manpower, the government has launched a massive investment initiative aimed at merging sophisticated technologies and new infrastructure solutions.
One of the significant technological advancements is the installation of a voice recording system in courtrooms. This technology guarantees that court proceedings are accurately and comprehensively recorded, avoiding the need for manual note-taking and inaccuracies.
Furthermore, virtual courtrooms have been established, allowing for remote hearings while decreasing the necessity for actual attendance. The Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams platforms have all proven useful in this sense. This development is particularly beneficial in cases involving long-distance travel by a party or during emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judicial system has also seen the implementation of electronic case management, filing, and payment systems. This method allows parties to file documents and pay online using Mobile Money Guyana (MMG), drastically decreasing administrative bottlenecks and wait periods.
It also ensures the swift handling of cases.
Modified containers are being used as virtual courts, which reduces the high costs associated with transporting prisoners from prison locations to courts around the country.
Electronic Notice Boards have been installed at some magistrates’ courts to facilitate easier access to information for court users. Over the past four years, several new magistrate court buildings were constructed around the country while existing ones were either extended or rehabilitated.
Last month, a new wing, comprising of a courtroom, judges’ chambers, a secretariat for the JSC and a library were commissioned at the appeal court.
For this year, the judiciary received a $6.8 billion budgetary allocation.
