Chief Justice David Maraga yesterday directed judges and magistrates to clear a backlog of 11,973 cases pending in courts before the end of the year.
The CJ (pictured) said many people had languished in remand for long, and asked Judicial officers to hasten the process of dispensing justice.
He added that part of the judicial reforms was to ensure the backlog was cleared by the end of this year. The backlog of cases is from June 30 this year.
Speaking during the annual judges' conference in Mombasa yesterday, Maraga criticised MPs for slashing the Judiciary's budget, adding that they were punishing courts for judgements against the Legislature.
“Speedy trials are fundamental, integral right for all citizens. Backlog of cases is the manifestation of denial of justice for victims. We have seen cases where victims remain in remand longer during the trial period than even their imprisonment,” he said.
