BY ROMINAH FAKA

The courts last year cleared 496 cases out of a total of 530 filed last year, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer has announced.

On Tuesday this week during the Opening of the Legal Year in High Court, Chief Justice Sir Albert in his speech made an update regarding cases filed in 2024 in High Court.

He said in 2024 there a total of 530 cases, both civil and criminal were filed.

High Court disposed 496; 423 were civil matters and 73 criminal cases.

For High Court circuits, 13 circuits were held in 2024 with a total of 30 cases disposed.

For election petitions a total of 28 election petitions were filed after the National General Elections on April 17, 2024. 26 comprised of national election petitions and two provincial petitions.

Out of the 26 petition cases filed, these are the petition cases awaiting rulings; Lau/Mbaelelea Constituency Ben Maenu’u, West Guadalcanal Constituency Hon. Moses Garu, North East Guadalcanal Constituency Jamie Vokia, East Choiseul Constituency Manasseh Sogavare, Central Kwara’ae Constituency Ricky Fuo’o, North Malaita Constituency Daniel Suilea Waneoroa, West Honiara Constituency Hon. Namson Tran.

Gao Bugotu Constituency Hedley Mahaga’s case is pending appeal hearing, whilst East Guadalcanal Constituency Bradley Tovosia’s case is waiting a Court of Appeal ruling.

And four petition cases which proceeded to trial are North-West-Guadalcanal Constituency Francis Belande Sade, Ngella Constituency Choylin Yim Douglas, Baegu/Asifola Constituency Makario Tagini and Shortland Constituency Junior Isikeli Vave.

For the provincial election petitions, one is awaiting ruling on an application for strike out while the other proceed to trial.

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