The reason court lists are saturated with traffic cases are due to unpaid traffic tickets, which automatically become traffic matters to be settled via the court system. This high number of traffic cases continues to clog the system and therefore, results in a backlog of pending cases.
The chart below shows a snapshot of the composition of matters filed at the Magistracy during the 2018/2019 Law Term. It is clear to be seen that traffic cases comprised the majority of matters before the court over other offenses, at 60.4%.
The reason court lists are saturated with traffic cases are due to unpaid traffic tickets, which automatically become traffic matters to be settled via the court system. This high number of traffic cases continues to clog the system and therefore, results in a backlog of pending cases.
The chart below shows a snapshot of the composition of matters filed at the Magistracy during the 2018/2019 Law Term. It is clear to be seen that traffic cases comprised the majority of matters before the court over other offenses, at 60.4%.
Matters filed at the Magistracy during the 2018/2019 Law Term
Statistics, in the graph below, from the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago also show that during the period 2017- 2018 over 102,000 traffic related cases appeared before the Magistrates’ Court.
Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago: Cases filed for period 2013 – 2018
The high number of traffic matters results in a backlog of pending cases which depletes the Judicial system of time and other resources since there are:
- Extensive delays due to the paper-based system;
- Numerous adjournments in matters due to the non-appearance of police complainants and defendants at the court on court hearing dates; and
- Inconveniences to pay traffic fines.
The good news is that the new traffic ticketing system provides an opportunity for the administrative settlement of traffic and road offences without having to go through the court system. The U-Turn system will, therefore, relieve the enormous burden placed on the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago.
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