Staff shortage a cause for alarm

THE wheels of justice need far more than oil to roll smoothly – our courts need a full complement of capable legal professionals, of which a state prosecutor is key.

Today’s report, therefore, on the shortage of prosecutors here in Nelson Mandela Bay as well as on a national level is alarming.

In addition to numerous unfilled positions, it appears unlikely that any of these will be filled in the near future.

Add to that there are reports of still more prosecutors leaving the field, which suggests we have a judicial disaster waiting to happen.

As numbers dwindle, so do workloads grow on the remaining team to shoulder cases of former colleagues.

Then there is the question of sick leave: overworked employees tend to clock in sick more often and that in turn creates a vicious circle.

These employees of the Justice Department have years of specialised education under their belts.

The nature of their work calls for preparation which includes attention to detail and keen reading of material such as police dockets and court papers, which simply cannot happen if their workload is too heavy.

Prosecutors reportedly hop from court to court due to this shortage, which suggests there is a danger of muddling up cases or, at the very least, of being ill-prepared.

This, in turn, could lead to a lowered conviction rate and the frightening thought of criminals on the loose who otherwise would have been securely behind bars.

The National Prosecuting Authority itself has admitted there is a problem, telling The Herald prosecutors are stretched “and this has a detrimental effect on them, and in turn, on the criminal justice system”.

The lack of staff does not only lead to a prosecution that is done less than perfectly.

In this case, it may also mean court cases are delayed due to inadequate preparation and – as the old adage goes – justice delayed is justice denied.

How could this have come to such a stage?