Pandemic adds 60 000 to criminal courts backlog

The Covid-19 pandemic left the Regional and District Courts saddled with a more than 60 000-case backlog at the end of June as the courts handled a minimum number of trials. The number of cases added to the massive backlogs totalling nearly 200 000 from the past financial year that ended in March when the lockdown kicked in, says a report in The Mercury. Justice & Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola revealed this in written parliamentary replies to two sets of questions from DA MP Werner Horn. Horn had asked about the number of cases that were on the criminal court backlog roll on 26 June in District and Regional Courts. He also inquired about the backlog in both courts on 25 March and 25 May. Backlogs in the District Court are cases that have been on the roll six months or more while in the Regional Court they will have been on the roll for nine months or more. Lamola said that during the lockdown levels three, four and five courts dealt with a minimal number of trials. ‘Most cases were postponed in order to limit the number of people going to courts and thereby risking the spread of the virus. Such postponements led to further increases in the already existing criminal case backlogs,’ he said. The Minister noted there were continual engagements between the department and Regional Court presidents as well as Chief Magistrates to develop mechanisms to address the escalating backlogs. ‘The engagement has led to the establishment of the integrated case-backlog plan through which cases are being arranged for trial in terms of their priority.’ Lamola said it was, however, difficult to effectively implement the plan due to the spikes in Covid-19 infections, which in turn led to constant closure of courts.