My solution for reducing court backlog

THE EDITOR: The recent figures given by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Faris Al-Rawi continue to be alarming, yet nothing decisive or positive is being done to undo the backlog of judicial matters before magistrates. This means that justice delayed is justice denied.

I am proposing a simple solution which will redound to the credit of the AG and the nation as a whole.

I humbly suggest that this outstanding cases could be drastically reduced by appointing Justices of the Peace to sit on them in night courts.

JPs remain quintessential members of the judicial process, and with their vast experience and some training in the legal issues they would have to adjudicate there would be a serious reduction in the over 170,000 cases, most of which are stuck in the lower courts.

I would not be surprised if many people involved in the outstanding cases have died, have migrated or do not remember the details of the cases they have to defend.

It is more than time to do something about this flagrant denial of justice.

PARAS RAMOUTAR via e-mail