The total number of pending cases in the judicial system of Bhutan has been on the rise since 2016. As per the Annual Judiciary Report 2019, of the 9541 court cases registered last year, over two thousand cases are still pending.
According to the report released yesterday, the number of pending cases and number of cases pending beyond 12 months has been on the rise and growing every year. Today, there are 2692 pending cases, an increase of 292 cases from the year 2018.
“There are many reasons for the cases remaining pending. One is because a few of us take extra time during the investigation and focus on detailed study and research. And another reason is that we are currently losing many of our bench clerks to offices where they are paid better. And so, we are facing a shortage of bench clerks. This affects the investigation of several cases,” said Kuenley Tshering, the Officiating Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of Bhutan.
Further, circumstances such as wait for a forensic report, signature or thumb impression verification from experts outside the country, complexities of cases, absconding respondents and inability to trace witness are other reasons behind the cases remaining pending for a longer duration.
Meanwhile, as per the report, the dzongkhag and dungkhag courts across the country received a total of 8482 cases in 2019. Of it, Thimphu and Phuentshogling Courts registered the highest number of cases.
More than half of the cases registered last year were civil in nature and monetary cases topped the list. With regard to criminal cases, the category saw a decrease of 6 per cent as compared to 2018.
Passang Dorji
