Courts stop hearings for 14 days to curb disease spread

The Judiciary has suspended hearings for all criminal and civil cases for two weeks, in the latest efforts to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

In a raft of measures announced yesterday, Chief Justice David Maraga (pictured)  also said no remandees or prisoners will be taken to court during this period, as the country intensifies its fight against the pandemic that is spreading across the world.

Magistrates have also been directed to review bail terms for remandees as a measure to de-congest prisons. Police will be expected to deal with minor cases at their stations, in line with guidelines to be issued by the Inspector General of Police, the CJ announced, in a bid to keep fresh suspects from jail.

"All appeals, hearings and mentions in criminal and civil cases in all courts are suspended with immediate effect," said Maraga, following a meeting of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) held at the Supreme Court.

He added: "Judges in all stations will, in the meantime, review deserving cases already identified by prisons authorities and issue appropriate revision orders in an effort to decongest the prisons."

Other members of the NCAJ are Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, Commissioner General of Prisons Wycliffe Ogallo, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO Twalib Mbarak.

Maraga said magistrates will issue appropriate directions "in the coming days."

He also announced the suspension of open-court hearings, which suggests that certificates of urgency and new pleas will be handled in chambers.

Maraga said that Judiciary staff are expected to continue reporting to work.

On Friday, officials announced that a 27-year-old woman who arrived in the country from the US, through London, had tested positive for coronavirus, the first case in the country.

The measures announced by the CJ will see a major shift in the operations of the criminal justice system, as the coronavirus situation in the country unfolds.

"There will be no workshops and trainings for Judiciary staff, and their travel outside the country has also been suspended save for exceptional circumstances,” said Maraga.

With the country's justice system already under fire for slow processes, a decision to suspend hearings will mean further delays in ongoing cases and appeals.

The CJ also announced the formation of an ad-hoc inter-agency committee to advise the NCAJ on further precautionary measures.