Criminal Court to schedule hearings until 05:00 pm to clear backlog

Criminal Court has decided to schedule hearings until 05:00 pm on working days in order to clear its backlog. 

The court announced on Saturday that in addition to its regular timings, the court will also be scheduling hearings from 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm. 

The court will follow the new schedule for three months, starting from June 1. 

The move comes after Judicial Service Commission (JSC)’s president, Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan Hussain’s recent remarks that it would take 16 years for the court to clear its backlog with its limited resources. 

JSC had decided at the time to recommend extending court hearings until 05:00 pm to resolve the issue.