The Criminal Court has announced its decision to delay the upcoming recess period to prioritise the resolution of pending cases. This move is in line with the Courts Act and the Criminal Court Rules.

Typically, superior courts in the Maldives observe recess twice a year, in June and December. However, the Criminal Court stated that due to ongoing challenges, it would not take a full month of recess during this period.

In a statement, the court highlighted the persistent space constraints in its building, which have made it difficult to allocate trial hearings efficiently. "The space crunch in the court building remains unresolved, and currently, the court is compelled to divide trial sessions among different judges on separate days," the statement read.

As a result, the court has faced difficulties in scheduling the number of hearings necessary to expedite cases. To address this, the judges collectively decided against a complete month-long recess and instead scheduled the next recess for 15th December.

The court also noted that shifting its operations to the former Covid facility in Hulhumalé could alleviate the space issue and improve the efficiency of case proceedings. It emphasised that such a move would contribute significantly to reducing the backlog of cases.