Judiciary to launch audit report on criminal justice in Kenya

The Judiciary will release an audit report on the country’s criminal justice system on Monday.

Chief Justice David Maraga is set to preside over the launch of the audit which was conducted by the National Council on Administration of Justice (NCAJ).

NCAJ mainly focused on pre-trial detention and case-flow management in the project that targeted 18 counties from May 15, 2015.

“The findings made by the audit will hopefully provide a comprehensive analysis of the criminal justice system towards providing recommendations to strengthen service delivery and legislative policy as well as practice reforms in Kenya,” said a statement from the Judiciary.

The audit report is expected to reveal the specific time most arrests are effected by the police, how those arrested are released even before facing their trial in court and the situation of detention facilities countrywide.

The Judiciary has in the recent past held sessions aimed at clearing a backlog of court cases.

And in an effort to step up the fight against graft, the Judiciary launched a new division of the High Court called Anti-Corruption & Economic Crimes to deal with such matters speedily.

The release of the report comes at a time of rising complaints about the slow pace of justice.

Critics also say the criminal justice system is clogged with less serious offences that largely contribute to the delay in delivering justice and congestion at detention centres.