CARMEL RICKARD: Virtual justice
The move towards hybrid or online hearings as a result of Covid has improved the efficiency of the court system, but challenges remain
Two statistics stood out at last week’s conference of the Southern African Chief Justices’ Forum. First, illustrating the scale of court delays around the world, is the widely accepted figure that Brazil’s backlog is about 80-million cases. The consequences aren’t limited to those seeking justice — the backlog is also said to be a major impediment to foreign investment.
The other statistic comes from the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). Geoffrey Kiryabwire, a member of Uganda’s Court of Appeal and vice-president of the EACJ, gave some figures showing the number of cases finalised in 2019 compared with 2020. Across eight categories of legal issues, the court completed a total of 59 matters in 2019. In 2020, working under Covid conditions, the total more than doubled...
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