No law to enforce timeframe on criminal/civil courts rulings

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There is no law that put a timeframe on the decisions of the criminal and civil courts. However, this is not the issue with the Lands and Titles Court. Once a hearing is concluded in the LTC, the judges have up to 90 days to issue their decision.

This is according to Minister of Justice and Courts Administration, Matamua Vasati Pulufana in Parliament yesterday, when addressing concerns raised by Members of Parliament, regarding the delay in court decisions.

She said no law governs timeframes for court decisions in the criminal and civil courts.  

Judiciary laws were amended in 2020, but this specific issue was not considered. 

However, there are guidelines in place to address such matters under the guidance of the Chief Justice. Also, some concerns placing a timeframe on the court’s decisions would, in turn, rush the judge’s decision, and they might miss something vital, which will impact their final decisions. 

The Minister noted judges have to conduct legal research as the basis of their decisions.