For better justice

His Majesty King Abdullah commended the “advanced level” of performance of the judicial authority, stressing that he fully supports the judiciary and its independence.

Upon receiving the annual report of the Judicial Council for 2014, on Monday, presented to him by the council president, Hisham Tal, the King reiterated the need for an environment that guarantees speedy processing and just rulings in cases seen by courts.

Tal outlined the council’s plans and programmes to modernise the judiciary with a view to making it more efficient and expeditious.

Part of the efforts in this direction, the Monarch said, should be setting up specialised courts, training specialised judges and improving the efficiency of judicial personnel in order to ensure optimal performance, professionalism and the highest level of accuracy.

Justice delayed is justice denied, the adage goes; the judiciary unfortunately continues to battle a huge backlog with limited success, either because there is a big shortage of courts and judges or because the manner of administering justice in the country remains archaic.

The specialised courts suggested by the King should be able to handle the complex legal issues of modern times.

The establishment of a human rights court, for example, could be one answer to the multifaceted legal issues pertaining to human rights, which require specialised legal scrutiny.

Many countries have courts that deal with human rights issues on the basis of national and international legal norms.

If created, such a court would have the authority to tackle issues pertaining to freedom of the press, gender equality, voting rights and allegation of ill treatment or torture, among others.

Courts with jurisdiction over financial and corporate matters could be a useful addition, as would a system of arbitration to settle complex legal issues.

Tal was quoted as saying that the judicial authority’s achievements include faster litigation within a reasonable time and posting court rulings on websites.

While this is indeed an accomplishment, there are still things the judiciary could do to perform optimally.

With full independence, sustained efforts and the will to upgrade, it should not be difficult to ensure that the country gets a modern, professional judiciary.