The Guyana Justice Sector Reform Strategy (JSRS) for 2006-2010 states that it has been suggested that as many as 50 per cent (or 12,Wholesale NFL Jerseys,700) of the criminal cases on the High Court trial docket will never go to trial because cases have either been settled or abandoned, those on bail have disappeared, or witnesses are no longer available.According to the document, the reform strategy focuses on eliminating the current backlog of criminal cases that are clogging up the High Court and the Magistrates’ Courts, and on modernising court processes to speed case-flow and ensure that backlogs do not develop again.It also said that special projects will be undertaken to deal with the current backlogs, modelled on the successful High Court civil case backlog project.If necessary,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, the document added, part-time Judges will be appointed under Article 128A of the Constitution to assist with the disposal of the backlog.The document says that in the Magistrates’ Courts,Cheap Jerseys From China, disposing of the backlog will require strong leadership from the centre.“It will be necessary for Magistrates’ Court clerks to supply the Chancellor with up to date returns showing number of cases awaiting trial,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, number of appeals in which papers have not yet been filed in the Registry, and the number of preliminary hearings.”It states that decisions can then be taken about deploying new Magistrates or redeploying existing ones to deal with backlog.“At the same time as measures are taken to deal with the existing backlog, criminal procedures will be modernised and streamlined to increase the case-flow for new cases.”As it relates to civil matters, the reform strategy says that the key issues are both to dispose of the current backlog of civil cases, and to introduce improved systems to ensure that a new backlog does not build up.Activities to tackle the situation will include increasing the jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts which would immediately relieve the High Court of a large number of small cases. The aim, it noted, is that this measure would be accompanied by the development of a Magistrates’ Court mediation system, which would then take the majority of these small cases out of the court system entirely,Cheap Jerseys Online, and enable them to be dealt with in a more appropriate manner.“Finalising the ongoing reform of the Supreme Court Rules in line with international best practice including judicial case management; a “cards on the table” approach; and provision for the Registrar and Deputy Registrar to deal with interlocutory (minor) applications e.g. for amendment of writs, service out of the jurisdiction and substituted service.”Introducing a system of practice directions to operationalise details of Supreme Court Rules is also included.“Simplifying the long and complicated rules appended to the Summary Jurisdiction (Magistrates) Act by bringing them into line with the reformed Supreme Court Rules and introducing small claims procedures.”It also makes provision for the introduction of a system of “settlement weeks” in the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts and strengthening the system of awarding and assessing costs in civil cases so costs follow the event in practice (i.e. the losing party pays the legal costs of the winning party).“This means that there is a real incentive to settle,Wholesale China Jerseys Free Shpping, and a disincentive from bringing frivolous cases.”