Justice forum set up to improve court system

LACK of coherence and departments that operate in isolation have been blamed for the failures in the Namibian justice system.

To counter this, Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Criminal Justice Forum. In a statement issued at the end of last week, Cabinet said one of the major constraints in achieving and promoting justice was that all parties in the justice system were operating in isolation.”There is no coherence in decision-taking and each office operates without complementing the broader picture,” said a statement issued by Wilma Deetlefs, acting Permanent Secretary of Information.It said there was a need for a comprehensive and inter-sectoral approach to unite all key stakeholders in the fight against crime.”This, however, cannot be realised if all the role players in the criminal justice system do not contribute meaningfully towards the achievement of such a shared common goal.This is necessary for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security, which are in turn necessary for political and socio-economic development in the country.”Cabinet and other key players agreed to the establishment of a forum consisting of all role players at the highest level, to be called the National Criminal Justice Forum.The statement said the Forum would develop a case management system, ensure effective co-ordination between stakeholders, improve efficient, effective and speedy investigation and finalisation of criminal cases, and raise public awareness and instil public confidence in the administration of the criminal justice system.It will meet “from time to time” to discuss problems affecting the Namibian criminal justice system and to arrive at workable and coherent solutions.Cabinet assigned the Office of the Prosecutor General to co-ordinate the activities of the Forum.In a statement issued at the end of last week, Cabinet said one of the major constraints in achieving and promoting justice was that all parties in the justice system were operating in isolation.”There is no coherence in decision-taking and each office operates without complementing the broader picture,” said a statement issued by Wilma Deetlefs, acting Permanent Secretary of Information.It said there was a need for a comprehensive and inter-sectoral approach to unite all key stakeholders in the fight against crime.”This, however, cannot be realised if all the role players in the criminal justice system do not contribute meaningfully towards the achievement of such a shared common goal.This is necessary for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security, which are in turn necessary for political and socio-economic development in the country.”Cabinet and other key players agreed to the establishment of a forum consisting of all role players at the highest level, to be called the National Criminal Justice Forum.The statement said the Forum would develop a case management system, ensure effective co-ordination between stakeholders, improve efficient, effective and speedy investigation and finalisation of criminal cases, and raise public awareness and instil public confidence in the administration of the criminal justice system.It will meet “from time to time” to discuss problems affecting the Namibian criminal justice system and to arrive at workable and coherent solutions.Cabinet assigned the Office of the Prosecutor General to co-ordinate the activities of the Forum.