Capital and provincial courts across the country have resolved over 47 per cent of civil registry cases, while the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal urged its deputy chiefs, judges and court clerks to expedite the trial process for registry cases as well as those involving drug offences and fatal road incidents. 

The Ministry of Justice’s Information and Public Relations Working Group reported on February 3 that the courts were handling a total of 6,850 registry cases prior to the start of campaigns aimed at addressing the aforementioned issues. 

Following the implementation of the initiatives, an additional 1,880 registry cases were registered, bringing the total count to 8,730 as of January 31.

“In the 23 days following the launch of two campaigns, the capital and provincial courts have resolved a total of 47.2 per cent [4,120] of registry cases,” the report stated.

According to the ministry, the efforts were initiated to expedite the resolution of cases and to enhance transparency and integrity in the judicial process.

Am Sam Ath, operations director of rights group LICADHO, said on February 4 that the swift handling of registry cases is beneficial as they are vital for people’s everyday lives. 

However, he claimed that the process is still not exemplary. 

He suggested that the courts hasten the resolution of all cases awaiting justice, not just in the three categories prioritised by the government. 

“To earn public trust, the courts should process all cases as swiftly as possible, ensuring confidence in receiving justice from relevant parties and upholding equal justice under the law,” said Sam Ath. 

He added that civil society organisations (CSOs) have been calling for and continue to urge the government to reform the legal system and judiciary to ensure the courts’ independence, legal equality and the elimination of irregularities.

Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the campaigns have been highly effective. 

He agreed that the ministry’s rapid resolution of registry cases is crucial for people’s daily lives at the grassroots level. 

“Because people need registry documents for various necessities, if thousands of … cases were stalled as before, they would disrupt the economies and socio-economic activities of the people,” he added. 

Peou commended the expedition of resolving the cases and encouraged the ministry to address such matters more swiftly in other provinces.

To enhance the efficiency and speed of case resolution and ensure justice, Seng Sivutha, president of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court, have urged members of the court to expedite the resolution of cases. 

“I requested that appeal court deputy chiefs and judges responsible for drug offence cases, among others, be tried to completion by March 2024,” he said on February 2.