Chief Justice says legal challenges facing courts can be overcome

Chief Justice Abdul Ghani Mohamed has acknowledged that while the judiciary is grappling with several challenges—including legal and financial obstacles—he remains confident they can be overcome.

Speaking at the official launch of the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) at the Criminal Court yesterday, Chief Justice Ghani said the courts are not only facing financial difficulties, but also legal hurdles that impact operations.

“There are no small issues among the challenges we face,” he said. “These are major problems now—but when they first arose, they weren’t necessarily so. Over time, they’ve grown more complex.”

Appointed earlier this month, Chief Justice Ghani brings extensive experience to the role, having previously served as a Civil Court judge, Chief Justice of the High Court, and a Justice of the Supreme Court. He noted that the judiciary has now compiled a comprehensive list of issues affecting the courts.

“We’ve prepared a list of these challenges, they’re not limited to finances, some are rooted in legal constraints. However, looking at the current situation, we believe these legal hurdles can be addressed.” he said.

The launch of the Integrated Case Management System marks a major step forward in judicial reform. The ICMS has been successfully implemented in the Criminal Court and is already fully integrated with the Prosecutor General’s Office's case management platform.

According to the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA), ICMS will eventually connect with systems used by various institutions within the criminal justice system. This integration aims to streamline the registration and processing of cases, speed up document sharing between agencies, and improve overall efficiency.