Primary Justice reduces case backlog in Malawi courts
Primary Justice for Vulnerable Groups, a project that has been implemented in the area of eight Traditional Authorities in Mangochi by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace is said to have contributed to the reduction of cases that flood conventional courts.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency after a stakeholders meeting thursady, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Mangochi Diocesan Secretary, Bruno Banda said under the Primary Justice programme the initiative encouraged communities to utilize local resources and mediation.
He said motivation to use the two elements was derived from the fact that people easily resolve differences when they deploy local resources to manage conflicts among themselves and only to refer cases that border on legal interpretation to the judiciary.
“Capacity building of the local structures in mediating cases that come before them has also improved and enhanced their capacities and confidence in handling matters within their localities,” Banda said.
“The project has also contributed to the reduction of corruption because paralegals were provided with case record books where all cases were recorded since prior to that there were challenges in terms of tracing cases to be revived after the death of an incumbent leader,” he added.
Speaking in a separate interview, Chairperson of Primary Justice at Mangochi District Council, Ernest Kadzokoya said the project has helped people in the communities to access justice.
“On the overall, primary justice has helped people in accessing timely justice and the quality of service at the courts has also improved due to reduced cases,” He pointed out.
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