The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) has organised a special forum for the Maldivian judiciary to find solutions to the issue of prolonged remand and identify ways to expedite court trials.

The forum, held on Thursday, brought together over 60 participants, including judges from the High Court, lawyers, and magistrates from the Criminal Court, Drug Court, Juvenile Court, and Magistrate Courts, along with key judicial officials.

With limited space and resources posing challenges to the efficiency of court proceedings, the forum focused on identifying measures that agencies within the justice system could take to accelerate trials. Discussions also highlighted the role of the PG Office as the central authority in the criminal justice system, emphasising its responsibility in addressing delays in remand cases and streamlining judicial processes.

Judges at the forum raised concerns about staff shortages and inadequate court facilities, both of which continue to hamper the smooth progression of cases.

To counter these challenges, the discussion centred on implementing a centralised scheduling system to reduce hearing cancellations, adopting out-of-court administrative measures to limit unnecessary preliminary hearings, and improving witness production in court to prevent trial delays.

Additionally, legal consultation was also provided on introducing a monitored system for the release of eligible remanded individuals and expanding the bail system. The implementation of an electronic system for document sharing was also discussed as a measure to improve judicial efficiency.

The forum was attended by the Chair of Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Uz Hussain Riza Adam, members of the JSC, and representatives from the Department of Judicial Administration.