Chief justice praises work of night courts to clear backlog of traffic tickets

Chief Justice Bryan Sykes says there has been significant progress in clearing the backlog of traffic tickets in the Corporate Area Traffic Court. He says this was made possible through the work of the judges, as well as the night court.

“With regard to the traffic tickets under the Traffic Court in particular … they have seen improved performance largely because of the judges that we have there and the staff that’s there,” Chief Justice Sykes said.

Ahead of the implementation of the new Traffic Ticket Management System and the new Road Traffic Act in February 2023, there was a rush on the Traffic Court as persons sought to pay off fines for outstanding traffic tickets.

Among the measures to deal with the crowds and the nearly 400,000 outstanding tickets was the sitting of night and Saturday courts.

“At the beginning of 2023, with the change in the law, significant numbers of persons came to the court to deal with old traffic tickets. Some persons had hundreds of tickets outstanding, and so what we have been doing is addressing all of those who are not yet current,” Justice Sykes said.

“We expect to become current in 2024, but the courts have been sitting at nights. We have had other judges sitting at night, that is, judges assigned to courts other than the Traffic Court coming in at night and on Saturdays, and the staff has been turning up to work. So, I wish to use this opportunity to thank the judges and the staff that have enabled us to keep afloat with the significant increase in the volume of cases,” he added.

CULTURE OF IMPUNITY

The chief justice says that, while the courts have been dealing with the past cases, the police have become more efficient with the use of new devices to issue tickets. The electronic issuance of traffic tickets is a feature of the new Traffic Ticket Management System.

“Because of the new machines that they have, they are issuing more tickets and we have been keeping current with those,” Chief Justice Sykes said.

He noted that one of the problems that occurred in the past was the significant delay in issuing warrants for persons who did not pay at the tax office and did not attend the court.

The chief justice said that a culture of impunity had developed where persons felt that, when they received a ticket from the police, they could simply ignore it.

“So, where we are now is that we are current with the issuing of warrants in respect of the current cases. So, what that means is that, for persons who do not pay at the tax office, do not attend the court, the warrants are being issued and will be issued, and you will be arrested and brought before the court,” Chief Justice Sykes explained.

“If you do not wish to come to court, then go to the tax office. Also, you have the option of contesting it. So, you do not pay the tax office but you must turn up at court on the date and times stated in the summons. Failing that, a warrant will be issued and you will be brought before the court,” he added.

The chief justice noted that, while the country’s traffic enforcement is becoming better, the court is still not where it should be “because it needs to become digitised to keep pace with the digitisation that has taken place with the police”.

“But, we hope to get there in time,” Chief Justice Sykes said.