Social awareness cuts court cases...
There is certain crucial data coming from the Public Prosecution in the Sultanate of Oman regarding the cases it has dealt with last year and in the recent past. It has revealed that an estimated 29,000 cases were dealt by the Public Prosecution in 2019. But the number has gone down drastically by 18 per cent in 2020 reaching 24,000. These are not just numbers. But they are indicators of many major changes which have taken place in the society and cannot be overlooked. It is an opportunity which requires us to capitalise and build upon it, further strengthen social security in the country and create more sense of satisfaction and stability in life here.
There were huge investments made which have led to these achievements despite the extraordinary current situation. Otherwise, studies have shown that the court cases would increase as natural repercussions of the current economic, social and health conditions everywhere in the world. The data which has come from the Pubic Prosecution of this blessed land is a sufficient cause for a sigh of relief.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that at a time when it was expected that the court cases would increase, there was a sharp decline in the numbers during this period. This primarily shows that social awareness has increased that Oman is a state of institutions and law. It also indicates that there was also growth in the knowledge about rights and duties. Any decline in the number of court cases shows the high level of the social awareness about rules, regulations, laws and procedures and the manner to deal with each other.
However, credit for this achievement goes to the societal system of the country which has successfully imparted its national duties in every nook and corner of the country.
When we talk about the decline in the number of court cases, we should not forget the increased efficiency in dealing with these cases. With their swift judgements, courts have helped in strengthening social and economic security and confidence and trust among all.
If you go through different verticals of these statistics, more startling facts will come out. On of the most significant development was the fall in murder cases from 16 in 2019 to 9 in 2020. The criminal cases have also dipped by 18 per cent to reach 1,182 in 2020 from 1,446 cases in 2019.
The Public Prosecution is also playing a crucial role to reduce the burden on the judiciary. The statistics indicate that the number of cases referred to the judiciary fell by 4,397, or by 53.9 per cent, to reach 12,841 in 2020 from 17,283 in 2019.
Among the administrative cases, there were cases of bounced cheques due to no balance in the banks. The number of such cases reached 4,947. The cases of violation of the Labour Law were 2,753. There were also 2,584 cases of violation of foreigners’ residency law. The cases related to narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances reached 1,963. There were 1,750 cases of violation of Consumer Protection Law, 1,699 cases of theft and extortion and 1,205 cases of fraud and cheating.
Normally, it was expected that due to the current hardships among individual and social lives, such cases will multiply, but they have surprisingly fell in 2020.
By citing some of these statistics, I am trying to tell that these figures should not be ignored as an annual ritual exercise. Instead the organisations concerned should take benefit of these and utilise them to deal with some of the social issues. Security and judicial solutions, though important, are not the final word to bring changes. In view of these statistics, means and methods should be developed to deal with these issues.
All of us are equal partners in the country. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all those who love this great nation to shoulder the responsibility of bringing changes towards a better future. These statistics can be used as milestones.
IT IS A MATTER OF GREAT SATISFACTION THAT AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE COURT CASES WILL RISE, THERE WAS A SHARP FALL IN THE NUMBERS