Role of the Barangay Justice System in Reducing Case Court Congestion

Abstract

Court congestion is a reality in the world. Many cases pile up in the courts and as a result, people face delays in the solution of disputes. Various reasons have been attributed to slow processing of cases by the courts. Unfortunately, it affects the ability of courts to deliver timely resolutions. It affects public confidence in the justice delivery system. As the number of cases continues to grow traditional judicial systems are also straining to keep up, resulting in extended delays and limited access to justice for a lot of individuals.
Guatemala along with other countries have a situation where the courts are congested with cases. Consequently, this has led to long delays in the issuance of court rulings, which slows down and at times renders ineffective access to justice, in this setting, arbitration appears as an alternative means of settling conflicts that provides a promising and effective response to this judicial congestion (Salazar 2024).
In Kenya, the Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) Policy recognizes traditional, informal, and community justice mechanisms as part of the country's broader legal framework. A study by the Judiciary of Kenya (2020), showed that AJS contributes significantly to case resolution in rural and marginalized areas. It highlights how integrating community justice systems with formal courts can enhance access to justice and reduce the time and cost of dispute resolution. The report concluded that strengthening AJS could reduce the volume of cases in courts and improve judicial efficiency.