Africa-Press – Gambia. Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dawda A. Jallow has disclosed that the Ministry of Justice has received a total of 619 case files from various institutions since 2021. Speaking during a recent question-and-answer session with members of the National Assembly, Minister Jallow emphasized the critical need for a digital case management system to streamline operations and enhance transparency within the justice sector.
“From the records, a total of 619 case files were received from various institutions, most notably the Office of the Inspector General of Police, between 2021 and the present,” Minister Jallow informed lawmakers.
He further clarified that the files cover a range of criminal matters, including murder, rape, robbery, fraud, and other offenses. However, he advised that the figures were manually compiled within a limited timeframe and should be regarded as indicative rather than exact.
“These include files relating to murder, rape, robbery, fraud, and other offences. While we have endeavored to provide the most accurate information available, Honorable Members are respectfully advised that the data was collated manually within a short time frame following the receipt of this request; as such, the figures provided should be regarded as indicative rather than definitive,” he remarked.
While efforts are underway to address these challenges, Minister Jallow confirmed that implementing a digital solution remains a top priority for the ministry.“The ministry recognizes the urgent need for a digital case management system to ensure real-time access to accurate case data. It remains a serious concern that the Attorney General cannot, in this digital age, generate such information instantly from his desk,” he explained.
He also states that they are making efforts to solve the challenges, but he said it remains a key priority for his ministry.
“Although efforts are being made to mitigate the challenges, it still remains a key priority for this ministry. It is also important to clarify that not all the files referred to the Ministry of Justice proceed to court,” he said.
He added, “Some are returned to the police for them to prosecute at their level or for them to carry out further investigations due to evidentiary gaps. In other instances, matters may commence before the courts but be withdrawn by prosecution in the interest of justice or be struck out at preliminary stages following judicial determination,” he said.
In response to inquiries about timelines for establishing a comprehensive digital system to catalog case files and automate procedural reminders, the minister indicated that progress depends on resource availability.
“It all depends on the availability of resources. Currently, we have a very good IT officer posted to the ministry from the Ministry of Digital Economy. On his phone, he is trying to help us domestically develop something that can help us digitally monitor our cases,” he said.
Minister Jallow also revealed that he has engaged several development partners who have expressed interest in supporting the initiative. Although the exact form of assistance remains uncertain, he described the digital transformation as a personal and institutional aspiration.
“It is one legacy I want to leave behind. In this day and age, I don’t need to call for a physical file to know the state of my files; I should be able to do that from my laptop,” he said.
Concluding, the Attorney General reiterated the ministry’s commitment to overcoming this challenge and ensuring the successful implementation of a digital case management system.“So it remains a big challenge and a priority for the Ministry, but we will keep working and ensure that this happens,” he affirmed.
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