Chancellor moving to clear 2000 appeals, applications

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Roxane George has directed that the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Judicature embark on a backlog reduction exercise to clear over 2000 appeals and applications that were filed between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2024 and attorneys and litigants have been urged to get prepared.

A release yesterday on the Facebook page of the Supreme Court said that the Court acknowledges the “understandable concern of litigants and attorneys-at-law awaiting the determination of long-standing matters and assures all stakeholders that this exercise reflects a firm commitment to the timely, fair and transparent administration of justice”.

To facilitate this initiative, the release said that the Court of Appeal has been constituted into three panels, each assigned 70 cases, representing a total of 210 cases in the first tranche. Each panel’s allocation comprises:

● 21 civil appeals,

● 20 criminal appeals, and

● 29 applications for leave to appeal and for extensions of time to appeal.

Hearings in these matters will commence with the civil appeals on 10, 12 and 13 February 2026 at 9.30 am on each day, the release said.