The Office of the Attorney General has acknowledged receipt of the Civil Rules Review Report from Acting Chief Justice Justice Salesi Temo in June of this year.
The Civil Rules Review Report was prepared by the Civil Division Rules Committee, which consists of judges and magistrates and is chaired by Justice Anare Tuilevuka.
This committee was tasked by Justice Temo to review the existing High Court Rules and Magistrates Court Rules based on principles of better case management.
Justice Temo’s concerns arose from chronic delays in the civil justice system that ultimately undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
Reviewing the Civil Court Rules aims to address one of the main factors causing these delays.
The Civil Rules Review Report highlights problems in the current High Court and Magistrates Court Rules and suggests solutions based on the collective experiences of judicial officers.
The suggestions include reducing timelines for both interlocutory and final applications and determinations, holding pre-trial conferences with judicial officers on first call, and implementing mandatory mediation.
The Office of the Attorney General, through the Director of the Law Reform Commission, will conduct further consultations with stakeholders as well as with members of the public before tabling the draft amendments.