Justice minister takes aim at drug, traffic, civil case backlog
MINISTER of Justice Koeut Rith has introduced stringent measures to address drug cases, traffic accidents and civil registry issues directly impacting individuals.
The measures were announced at a press conference on January 9, coinciding with the launch of two campaigns aimed at expediting legal case settlements and addressing irregularities in the judicial system.
Koeut Rith, heading these campaigns, underscored the importance of transparency, strictness and fairness in law enforcement, calling on judicial authorities to contribute to national accountability.
Stating the need for concerted efforts, the minister said his ministry will work closely with the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD). And to ensure transparency, he urged the courts and prosecutor’s offices to begin preparing press releases to showcase the handling of drug cases at every procedural stage, and determine the extent of drug cases to be made public.
“When a drug case is in the hands of the prosecutor, whether a charge has been levelled, we ask that a press release be issued so all [relevant parties] can verify the information,” he said.
He said that when individuals are implicated in drug cases, there should be no exceptions; they shall face charges.
According to the minister, as of December 2023, drug
cases in courts constituted 66 per cent of all criminal cases, marking the highest number of drug-related incidents.
In addressing traffic accidents, he said the victim and their family should not be part of the procedure. To resolve traffic accident issues procedurally, the primary focus is on addressing compensation matters.
He said the ministry will guide the court to designate a deputy prosecutor and a judge specifically for traffic matters. Those responsible for causing traffic accidents must adhere strictly to the law and avoid attempting to evade arrest through payments. The focus is on ensuring legal accountability.
“It’s imperative to recognise
the complexity of situations where assigning blame solely to pedestrians, motorcyclists or drivers may not capture the nuanced reality. Resolving such matters requires a careful consideration of facts and evidence. Take, for example, instances where individuals intentionally place themselves in harm’s way by jumping in front of a car—how can we then unequivocally brand the driver as an offender?” he said.
In relation to civil registry cases, Koeut Rith said that he would instruct judges nationwide to appoint officials to handle this responsibility. He noted the importance of prompt and accurate action, specifying only two requirements: speed and precision.
He said that if there are any
irregularities in civil registry matters, individuals can file complaints with the General Secretariat of the justice ministry.
As of January 9, there are a total of 6,000 civil registry cases in the courts, equivalent to almost one quarter of all civil cases. He said that even a minor error in names or dates must, according to the law, be addressed through legal proceedings.
“I will collaborate with the courts on this matter. It’s substantial, accounting for 23 per cent, and one might wonder if errors in civil registry documents are the fault of citizens. Are the people the incorrect authors? No, so why the delays of months and years? Let’s expedite the process,” he said.