The Office of the Attorney General has confirmed the receipt of the Civil Rules Review Report from Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo, which was submitted last month.
The report was prepared by the Civil Division Rules Committee, led by Justice Anare Tuilevuka, and comprising judges and magistrates. This committee was tasked by Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo to review the existing High Court Rules and Magistrates Court Rules in order to implement better case management principles.
This initiative was prompted by concerns over chronic delays within the civil justice system, which have been undermining public confidence in the judiciary. The review of the Civil Court Rules aims to address these delays, identified as one of the main issues hampering the system’s efficiency.
The report highlights problems with the current High Court and Magistrates Court Rules and offers solutions based on the collective experience of judicial officers. These proposed solutions include shortening timelines for both interlocutory and final applications and determinations, conducting pre-trial conferences with judicial officers during the initial call, and mandating mediation.
The Office of the Attorney General, through the Director of the Law Reform Commission, will conduct further consultations with stakeholders and the public before presenting the draft amendments.