THE justice system in Solomon Islands has been criticised for long delays in prolonging cases to be heard at the High court and magistrates courts.
Local environment activist and a member to the Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Network (IPBN), Lawrence Makili said many cases have been prolonged and left pending for years without hearing the trials.
He said complainants have been left in frustration awaiting justice for so long while in certain cases, the accused have been unduly locked up in custody for so long without putting them on trial.
“The justice system of this country failed to deliver its primary role,” he said.
He pointed out from his findings many complainants have followed up their prolonged cases only to bounce back from brick walls without satisfactory reasons for the long delays in the execution of the cases at the courts.
Mr Makili alleged some cases never end up in front of judges for mention because some of the court administrators are manipulating the justice system.
“When complainants revisit the courts, all sorts of excuses were usually given prolonging pending case files for years,” he said.
Makili singled out a particular case, civil case 416 of 2011 Nelson Bako versus M. Belama as a classic example of such intentionally prolonged case.
“Why keep this case on pending since 2013 with no ruling made at all, is it so special or extraordinary for those responsible”, he questioned.
He alleged that from what he discovered from documents, there has been direct involvement of a particular judge pertaining to the particular case manipulating the system which saw the case swept under the carpet a matter which should have stood trial hearing long ago.
“This is serious, and I urge the Chief Justice to put in order his house or else it will become a sickness eating through the very fibres of our justice system that will never be eradicated,”
“It’s now or never, there are other similar cases and complaints denied justice that should have protected them and their rights,” urges Makili.
He calls on members of the public experiencing similar prolonged cases to voice their concerns and join in making sure such mishandling of court cases be rectified or put right.
“Let us work on correcting what is right according to the laws of this sovereign country that we have been intentionally denied because of a few people who lack the conscience to protect its very own indigenous people.”
The Judicial authorities from the High Court and the Magistrates courts could not be reached in time for comment before this paper went to print.
By BRADFORD THEONOMI
