On Wednesday, we told you how the judiciary's determination to clear nearly 40 thousand cases allowed them to reduce the total backlog by 42% in a few short months.
Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer explained how the Magistracy stepped up its efficiency to eliminate its backlog. The Supreme Court did the same when the Briceno Administration and the Former Acting Chief Justice approached the Commonwealth Secretariat to identify temporary judges to help with the case backlog in the criminal division. In January of this year, four new judges joined the Belize Supreme Court on 1-year contracts.
Those judges are Canadians Patricia Farnese, Suzan Lamb, and Genevieve Chabot, and Jamaican Ricardo Sandcroft. Several of those trials - particularly those that have been heard in the courtroom of Justice Sancroft, regularly make the news.
Here's what the Registrar of the Supreme Court told the media on Wednesday when their input was highlighted as part of that 42% reduction in pending cases:
Trienia Young - Registrar General, Supreme Court
"The 42% is across the board. It's for both the Magistrate's Court and the Supreme Court. As the Chief Justice said in her presentation, part of what assisted us is, in fact, the temporary judges that were given to us through the Commonwealth Secretariat. So, with their assistance, we have been able to reduce significantly a lot of the criminal matters that are presently the before the court. In relation to the Magistrate's Court, the Chief Magistrate would, of course, be better suited to answer how this has affected her."
Reporter
"You mentioned that they are temporary; how much longer will they be with us?"
Trienia Young
"The contract ends for the judges in January. I am not - The JLSC is presently discussing recruitment in relation to that issue."
Both the Chief Magistrate and the new Chief Justice have committed that the Judiciary and the Magistracy will continue to chip away at the backlog as quickly as possible.
