Chief Justice Martha Koome has directed magistrates’ courts across the country to conduct Rapid Results Initiatives to finalise cases that have been pending for over three years.
Delivering a keynote speech virtually at the start of the 11th Annual Heads of Station Forum on Monday, she urged courts to prioritise active case and docket management strategies.
The 2024 magistrates’ forum is taking place in Kisii County under the theme: "Enhancing organisational growth and sustainability through shared leadership".
"It is active case and docket management that will help reduce case backlog by ensuring timely delivery of justice and management of our caseload," CJ Koome stated.
She pointed out that digital-ready courts and the uptake of ICT are vital for streamlining processes and making justice more accessible.
She underscored the importance of generating reliable justice data, which is 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 ensure informed and evidence-based decision making," she said.
The Chief Justice informed her audience that the functionality of the Case Tracking System (CTS) has been enhanced to improve the tracking and management of cases, and strengthen systems and data integrity.
Part of the measures taken, she said, include upgrading the CTS to require mandatory uploading of judgments and rulings before updating case outcomes.
This is 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," she said.
"Another upgrade is with respect to the process of submitting monthly court returns by judges and judicial officers has been automated through the Monthly Returns Portal."
This will facilitate easier filing and analysis of case progress data, with monthly returns being submitted by the fifth of every month.
At the same time, CJ Koome commended the performance of magistrates’ courts in the first nine months of the 2023/24 Financial Year.
This is following the resolution of 281,211 cases compared to 289,576 cases filed in the same period last year, attaining a Case Clearance Rate (CCR) of 97 per cent.
The CJ emphasised the need to strengthen specialised courts, including Children’s Courts, the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Courts and the Small Claims Courts.
She said their distinctive roles in addressing unique justice questions amplify the impact of justice in society.
Koome 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)," she indicated.
In her remarks, Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya said there will be greater involvement of judicial officers and staff at the station level 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, " she said.
"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."
Mokaya stated that her core priority is to support CJ Koome in delivering on the STAJ agenda.
This is especially its innovative people-centred justice model, unlocking the potential that the judiciary fund presents, improving the management of judicial resources and properly systematising policies to results cycle.
Attending the forum was Kisii Governor Simba Arati who noted that his county has developed a child protection policy which has since been approved by the Cabinet and is pending approval by the County Assembly.
"The policy seeks to institutionalise the social protection and welfare of the child. The policy would provide a framework for implementation of child protection responsive and preventive services in Kisii county," he said.
"This is a road map for collaboration and partnership with state and non-state actors for child protection in Kisii, strengthening the existing systems as well as the establishment of new structures for the social and economic empowerment and protection of children."
Arati also assured that the county has identified and set aside land and premises where the judiciary can build courts in three more sub-counties, to take justice closer to the people.
"I am pleased to inform you that the premises and paperwork are now ready. In our view, the premises are sufficient to equally house a Mediation Centre as well as the Small Claims Courts," he said.
Arati pledged to work with the judiciary in the rollout of Alternative Justice Systems (AJS), which he believes will have a positive impact on access to justice for the people at the grassroots level.