Chief Justice Martha Koome has introduced a raft of guidelines aimed at improving the efficiency of Kenya’s judicial system.
In a statement seen by the Kenya Times, the Chief Justice introduced a new system requiring offenders to pay fines and cash bails in open court.
The move, according to the statement will not only ensure transparency but also help to expedite the judicial process.
Further, the statement stated that the changes are in line with Judiciary’s resolve to adopt technology in its operations through the Court Management System.
As per the statement, the Court Management System will have the capacity to generate online invoices hence simplifying the entire payment process.
Additionally, court users will be required to register cases by 9:00 am. However, the judiciary will be lenient on select cases where it is not possible to register the pleas before the set time.
“These guidelines address the concerns of court users and harness technology to streamline the process,” the statement read in part.
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To facilitate the changes, the Judiciary will deploy every two Court Assistants to assist judges.
The first assistant, as per the statement, will support the magistrate with various court duties, while the second assistant will handle the processing of fine and cash bail payments.
Court users without money
For court users who are unable to pay the fines or cash bails in open court, the Judiciary will issue them with invoices a reasonable timeframe to clear the amount.
Failure to pay the fines within the stipulated time, the statement adds, will attract a committal warrants.
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Additionally, each court station will have an accountant to help in ensuring financial control and reconcile daily revenue collection.
Further, the Chief Justice assured that the Judiciary’s ICT department was working to ensure the new guidelines take effect within 30 days.
“These guidelines represent a significant step towards a more streamlined and technology-driven judicial system, ensuring timely and transparent handling of fines and cash bail, ultimately benefiting court users and the administration of justice,” the statement read.
The changes add to the reforms instituted in the Judiciary under CJ Koome’s tenure.
