Improving our court services

Almost everyone entering our courts needs some type of assistance. Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if, upon their arrival, a court employee greeted them by declaring: “Welcome to our courts, where we treat you fairly, carry out justice speedily and help you to resolve your disputes satisfactorily.”

This greeting would paraphrase the mission of our courts and announce, literally from the door, a commitment to make that mission a reality.

What would be the public’s reaction to such a declaration? Incredulity? Suspicion? Relief? Gratitude? Respect?

The 21st century Maltese public wants a legal system that, instead of merely moving cases along in a conveyor-belt-like manner, enables people to participate in a dignified, meaningful and expeditious process that helps to address their problems. Recent innovations in court system design and management, such as problem-solving and user-friendly courts, are helping to achieve these goals.

Yet, the public still feels the need for two related, but very important, services that the Court Services Agency should seriously consider introducing.

One is a customer service charter, as is the standard norm in most other departments and agencies. Litigants would feel more at ease if they were to have an insight into how the courts work with their users and how they operate.

The other is to develop an ombudsman programme to help court users effectively participate in the system and redress problems when they occur. Such a programme could prove its relevance for courts seeking to be more responsive to the public.

While the PN has been calling on parliament to set up a parliamentary committee for justice, the president of the Chamber of Advocates, Peter Fenech, referring to the ever-increasing problems and stalemates in our court system, last year publicly mooted whether the time has come to legislate and establish an ombudsman for the judiciary with the authority to investigate all complaints, related to the administrative and judicial functions of our courts.

A court system’s missteps, even minor ones, have significant consequences for the individuals involved and the public’s perception of the judicial system. Court users want someone to help them find out where the problem lies and get the case on track.

Mark Said – Msida