BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
COURT circuits for the provinces have been cancelled for the rest of the year.
This is reportedly due to lack of funds.
This will delay cases in the provinces, and will add to next year’s load of cases.
The Office of the Chief Magistrate at the Honiara Central Magistrate Court confirmed yesterday that remaining Magistrates’ Court Circuit and CLAC sittings for 2021 are now cancelled.
The office said that there was no fund allocated to the Magistrate Court to conduct the circuits for the remainder of 2021.
“There been insufficient funds allocated to the Magistrates’ Court to allow to conduct these events as planned.
“All Magistrates’ Court sittings at circuit locations in Western, Choiseul, Malaita, Isabel, Central, Guadalcanal and Rennell Bellona Provinces have been cancelled for the remainder of 2021.
“Additionally, all sittings of the Customary Land Appeal Court scheduled for November 2021 have also been cancelled,” the Chief Magistrate’s office revealed.
Therefore, all outstanding cases scheduled for a Magistrates’ Court circuit in those provinces or for the Customary Land Appeal Court will be re-listed for hearing in 2022.
