JUSTICE Minister Delroy Chuck is reporting a continued reduction in the overall net case backlog rate to less than five per cent in the parish courts, which he said surpasses international benchmarks.

“Our parish courts now consistently average a case clearance rate of over 100 per cent, with declining case congestion rates,” Chuck said Wednesday, during his contribution to the sectoral debate in the House of Representatives.

“When it comes to the timely delivery of justice, I can proudly declare that our courts now rank among the most efficient in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The Supreme Court’s performance is equally laudable, with an overall case clearance rate of more than 80 per cent, and judgement delivery rates of more than 100 per cent,” Chuck boasted.

He added that the Court of Appeal is currently seeing consistent case clearance rates above 100 per cent.

“Still, I am aware that a few outstanding and long-delayed judgements remain and these are being addressed,” the minister noted.

He told the Parliament that Chief Justice Bryan Sykes and his team are driving improvements across strategic performance metrics such as the case congestion rates, the trial date certainty rate, and the courtroom utilisation rate as they commit to delivering a first class court system to Jamaica.

He said that while the courts continue to demonstrate meaningful progress and notable achievements, the 2025 Chief Annual Report of the chief justice on the performance of the Supreme Court, the High Court Division of the Gun Court, and the Revenue Court, highlights important opportunities to further strengthen efficiency and service delivery.

“In particular, the current 12-month clearance rate within the Gun Court underscores the need for targeted interventions to sustain momentum, enhance case throughput, and prevent the accumulation of future backlogs,” said Chuck.

He shared that the Court Administration Division (CAD) has now returned to its offices at 25 Dominica Drive, following the damage to the premises by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. CAD has also seen administrative upgrades for the period including the approval of almost 600 new and upgraded posts, alongside a technology modernisation programme which facilitated innovations such as satellite internet services in parish courts.

“These CAD initiatives are part of the judiciary’s post-Hurricane Melissa climate adaptation measures,” said Chuck. He shared that building and property management improvements included the installation of a solar energy system at the St James Family Court and water storage solutions at various parish courts islandwide, and at the Supreme Court.

Installation efforts are also under way for prefabricated units to support court operations which are still badly affected by what he described as “the destructive impact of Hurricane Melissa”.