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Tuesday 05 Nov 2024
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Chief Judge of Criminal Court, Ahmed Hailam pictured at the Supreme Court's 10th anniversary function on October 31, 2018. (File Photo/Sun/Fayaz Moosa)
Judicial Service Commission (JSC) subcommittee’s report on the work of the Criminal Court reveals the number of cases presided over by the court’s Chief Judge Ahmed Hailam is relatively low.
According to the report, which was presented to the Parliament this Tuesday, the Criminal Court currently has 1,910 pending cases; 12 of which have been in trial for over 10 years, and 126 of which have been in trial for over five years.
The report also shows Hailam currently presides over 141 open cases – a relatively low rate compared to the number of cases president over the other eight judges who work at the Criminal Court.
Hailam, as Chief Judge, is in charge of assigning cases to judges.
Findings by JSC subcommittee show Hailam took over only six of the 250 cases which were filed with the Criminal Court this year, whereas other judges were assigned an average of 31 cases.
“It has been noticed that some of the judges were assigned a relatively low number of cases while other judges were overworked and assigned over the appropriate case number limit. Disparity in assignment of cases has also been noticed from among the judges who have been assigned an average of 31 cases,” says the report.
The subcommittee’s report also takes note of the failure of Hailam to review cases which are in progress for over six months as required of him as Chief Judge by law. The subcommittee has recommended that the JSC advice Hailam to remedy the issue.
NUMBER OF OPEN CASES PRESIDED OVER BY CRIMINAL COURT JUDGES:
Hailam, who previously worked as a public prosecutor at the Prosecutor General’s Office, has served as at the Criminal Court for one year and six months. He was appointed Chief Judge of the court on May 28, 2018.
