For the first time, the pending court cases in the country saw a drop in the last two years. The number of pending court cases in 2021 has been one of the lowest since 2016. According to the 2022 Annual Judicial Report, last year saw the number of cases dropped by 27. The Judiciary attributes this to the changes made in response to the transformation the country is going through.
The total cases pending for 2021 stood at 1,806, and it dropped to 1,779 last year.
These numbers are significantly lower than the average of about 2,500 pending cases recorded between 2016 and 2020.
According to the registrar general of the Supreme Court, the implementation of the Judicial Strategic Plan 2022 to 2032 helped the cause.
“We have come up with so many standard operating procedures to streamline the judicial process at the time of delivering the judicial services,” said Gembo Dorji, the Registrar General of the Supreme Court.
The registrar general added that a performance review was also introduced, where judges are held responsible if there are more pending cases.
He also attributed the drop in the number of pending cases to the introduction of virtual hearings, especially during the pandemic.
“The UNDP has funded this e-litigation project and we have distributed screens and all these recording equipment to all the courts. So, we can hear the thoughts of the parties without them having to appear in the court in person,” added the Registrar General.
However, District and Dungkhag Courts in Thimphu and Phuentshogling continue to record the highest number of cases.
According to the report, more than 8,000 cases were registered last year.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Sherub Dorji
