CJ Koome directs magistrates to finalise cases pending for over 3 years

The judiciary has launched a new initiative that will ensure all pending cases for over three years are finalised to ease the backlog.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, on Monday, directed Magistrates' Courts countrywide to conduct Rapid Results Initiatives to finalise the cases.

CJ Koome, who delivered the keynote speech virtually at the start of the 11th Annual Heads of Station Forum, urged courts to prioritise active cases and docket management strategies.

"It is an active case and docket management that will help reduce case backlog by ensuring timely delivery of justice and management of our caseload," she emphasised.

The CJ pointed out that digital-ready courts and the uptake of ICT are vital for streamlining processes and making justice more accessible and underscored the importance of generating reliable justice data, a key pillar of informed policymaking.

"Robust data will guide our strategies and ensure our initiatives have the intended impact. We are therefore using technology to enhance the accountability of our processes and to get reliable performance data that ensures informed and evidence-based decision making," she told magistrates attending the meeting.

This year's magistrates' forum is underway in Kisii County under the theme "Enhancing Organisational Growth and Sustainability through Shared Leadership."

The Chief Justice informed the meeting that the capabilities and functionality of the Case Tracking System (CTS) have been enhanced to improve the tracking and management of cases and strengthen systems and data integrity.

Delegates attend the 11th Annual Heads of Station Forum in Kisii County on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Photo: Judiciary)

Part of the measures taken include upgrading the CTS to require mandatory uploading of judgements and rulings before updating case outcomes, to ensure litigants or advocates and other stakeholders get immediate access to court decisions.

"In addition, we are making the cause list portal the single reference point for scheduled case events. All courts are required to generate their cause lists and notices directly from the CTS," the Chief Justice further directed.

"Another upgrade with respect to the process of submitting monthly court returns by judges and judicial officers has been automated through the Monthly Returns Portal."

With monthly returns submitted by the fifth of every month, this will make filing and analysing case progress data easier.

Chief Justice Koome commended the performance of Magistrates' Courts in the first nine months of the 2023/24 financial year, having resolved 281,211 cases compared to 289,576 cases filed in the same period, attaining a Case Clearance Rate (CCR) of 97 per cent.

She emphasised the need to strengthen specialised courts, including children's courts, sexual and gender-based violence courts, and small claims courts, saying their distinctive roles in addressing unique justice questions amplify the impact of justice in society.

She also called for the active pursuit of prison decongestion by ensuring that Community Service Orders (CSO) Case Committees are included as a standing item in the Court Users Committee (CUC) meeting agendas.

"I wish to bring it to your attention that going forward, we will intensify initiatives to reduce prison overcrowding as a measurable target in our Performance Management and Measurement Understanding (PMMU)," CJ Koome indicated.

In her remarks at the forum, the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Winfridah Mokaya, said that judicial officers and staff will be involved in the budget-making process, improvement of infrastructure, mentorship, and peer review.

"Embrace intergenerational leadership to guide each other, particularly the younger team members in your station. I would encourage you to walk the talk yourself and create a framework for mentorship and peer review within your station. Be your brother and sister's keeper."

CRJ Mokaya stated that her core priority is to support the Chief Justice in delivering on the STAJ agenda, especially its innovative people-centred justice model, unlocking the potential that the Judiciary Fund presents, improving the management of Judiciary resources and proper systematising policies for the results cycle.