- She said every case file will be tracked to ensure that matters are not stuck in court at any stage.
- The CJ also promised to work towards ensuring that the public has confidence in the institution.
Image: JUDICIARY
Chief Justice Martha Koome yesterday launched her vision for the Judiciary, promising that all cases will be determined within three years.
Appeals will be heard and determined in one year.
"We should not have any litigant travelling more than 100km to access a court; and no court case should drag in judicial corridors for more than three years in a trial court and one year in an appellate court," the CJ said.
The Judiciary, she said, will take charge of all matters filed in court.
The CJ noted that the next decade will phase out phrases like adjournment or stood over, generally among other case backlog enabling vocabulary and actions.
She said every case file will be tracked to ensure that matters are not stuck in court at any stage.
She also promised to work towards ensuring that the public has confidence in the institution by dealing firmly and swiftly, but also fairly, with concerns related to integrity and corruption that may arise.
Her vision, she said, is predicated on five guiding principles: accessibility and efficiency; transparency and accountability; inclusiveness and shared leadership; cooperative dialogue and social justice.
The main thrust of her vision is to ensure that Kenyans have a Judiciary that is efficient in delivery of services from the magistrate's and Khadhi’s courts, to tribunals, superior courts all the way to the Supreme Court.
The Judiciary, she said, will be focused on opening and broadening its doors to litigants and rendering justice to all who seek it.
The Judiciary continues to face challenges related to access and responsive justice, case backlog and accountability.
The CJ received a report on performance measurement of Judiciary staff, which showed the best performing courts.
On the performance of the Kadhi's courts, Garissa and Voi emerged the top performers.
The CJ also recognised six best performing magistrates’ courts in different categories, which included Limuru, Marsabit, Mombasa, Engineer, Tononoka children’s court and Gatundu magistrate’s court
Judge Agnes Murgor, who was in charge of the committee on performance management, noted that since its launch in 2015 there have been notable achievements.
Judiciary's overall case clearance rate was at 42 per cent in 2015-2016. In 2018-2019, it improved to 97 per cent.
Unfortunately since then, this indicator has been adversely affected by Covid-19 with the period of 2019-2020 registering a drop in performance, Murgor said.
The magistrate’s productivity improved from 480 cases in 2015-2016 to an all-time high of 958 cases in 2018-2019.
This implies that each magistrate resolved on average 958 cases in 2018-2019.
“It is significant that with the ability to track court performance through data submitted daily, we have been able to identify impediments to the expeditious disposal of cases. All these achievements served to enhance service delivery to Wanjiku who is our key stakeholder,” she said.
Edited by Henry Makori