Matters brought before courts should be finalised speedily, as there has been a consistent public outcry in recent years that court rolls are full and matters brought before courts take long to be settled.
These were the words of President Hage Geingob on Thursday, during the opening of the 2022 legal year which was done virtually.
He said it is clear that the escalating volumes of uncleared backlog contribute to negative public perceptions and experiences. This in turn clouds the overall image of the administration of justice creating a lopsided image of the rule of law in the country.
“There has been a consistent outcry in recent years that court rolls are full, and that matters brought before the courts take a long time to be finalised. The Caprivi Secessionists matter is a case in point. While I am not privy to the reasons for such a long delay, it brings into sharp focus the principle of ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. I therefore implore role players in the administration of justice to ensure equitable access to justice and speedy finalisation of matters before the courts,” said Geingob.
He added he is cognisant of budgetary constraints the Judiciary, Legal Aid and the Prosecuting Authority are facing in terms of filling critical vacancies, especially in the lower courts, increasing the pool of legal aid lawyers, upgrading or renovating of court buildings and facilities to ensure a safe and conducive working environment for judicial officers, prosecutors, legal aid lawyers, their clients, the general staff members and beneficiary members of the public.
“Given the economic outlook this year, with projected marginal growth, the fiscal space remains seriously constrained. We must therefore continue to do more with less. Despite rising needs and demands and the pressure to increasingly perform, the judiciary has reasonably always heeded this call. I thank you for doing your best under very trying circumstances,” stated Geingob.
Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Justice Peter Shivute said the COVID-19 outbreak caused various disruptions in the Judiciary service delivery.
“Many good plans and initiatives we had pre-COVID-19 have been all but shelved, these include human capital development and infrastructure improvement. It needs to be placed on record that we at the Judiciary may now not be able to complete some of the badly needed construction and renovation of court buildings to expand our services,” said Shivute.
Source: Namibia Press News Agency