SABAH, SARAWAK COURTS RECORD STRONG CASE DISPOSAL RATES LAST YEAR

KUCHING, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- The judicial system in Sabah and Sarawak has made notable strides in 2024, with courts of both states showing strong case disposal rates across various levels.

Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli said for the High Courts of Sabah, disposal rate for civil and criminal cases were recorded at 76 per cent and 65.2 per cent respectively, while High Courts of Sarawak recorded 73 per cent for civil cases and 49 per cent for criminal cases.

“In the Sessions Courts of Sabah, 77.02 per cent of registered civil cases and 82.96 per cent of criminal cases were disposed of last year. In the Sessions Courts of Sarawak, 69.78 per cent of registered civil cases and 81.23 per cent of criminal cases were disposed.

“As for the Magistrates Courts in Sabah, 81.13 per cent of civil cases and 92.56 per cent of the criminal cases were disposed of while the Magistrate Courts in Sarawak disposed of 83.65 per cent of the registered civil cases and 92.67 per cent of the criminal cases,” he said. 

He made the remarks at the Opening of the Legal Year Sabah and Sarawak 2025 at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here, today.

According to Abdul Rahman, the percentage of disposed cases includes those carried over from the previous years. 

He also said pre-trial case management is one of the key factors that must be continuously working on to facilitate the smooth and expeditious disposal of cases, without compromising justice and fair play.

“To drive continuous improvement, our focus is on specific areas of enhancement… To achieve this, I have reminded all judges, judicial commissioners and officers to closely monitor the progress of their cases,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Sabah Law Society (SLS) president Mohamed Nazim Maduarin in his speech said Sabah’s strategic geographic location, particularly its proximity to Indonesia’s new capital, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), provides opportunities for further regional legal collaboration.

He further said the state is perfectly positioned to become a key player in cross-border legal collaboration.

“With Sabah’s unique ability to bridge cultures and our lawyers’ language skills, we are poised to become indispensable partners in regional legal matters.

“SLS is no longer just 861 lawyers rooted in Sabah. We are 861 lawyers ready to serve the world, armed with skills, connections, and a vision for a truly global Sabah legal fraternity,” he said.

-- BERNAMA