Myanmar’s Preliminary Court Plan, New Cases To Be Heard

Chan Aye Tharzan township court in Myanmar's Mandalay Region will be hearing new cases under the preliminary court plan starting March 1. The plan is expected to bring a quicker pace to case law prosecution.

Township judge U Sein Kyi said the objective of the preliminary court plan is to primarily make procedures faster so that people would need a shorter time waiting for their cases to be heard. He also said the plan will likely reduce court costs.

The preliminary court plan was first introduced in October 2016 by the Chan Aye Tharzan township court because cases were delayed for a year or son while more were heard. "Of 17 criminal cases, we could settle seven and of 16 civil suits, we could settle 13. About 70 percent of cases were settled," Sein Kyi said.

He was also confident that the new preliminary court plan will help the judiciary system gain public confidence, as he believes the system will be successful if there is public involvement. The subject of public confidence and case law in itself, has been a long conveyed matter among experts.

The idea of having a preliminary court plan was first revealed in 2015, in Myanmar's Yangon Region, Kayin State and Bago Region. It was later extended to township courts in Mandalay Region, Magwe Region, Ayeyarwady Region and Mon State and Sagaing Region's Monywa district court in 2016, according to Myanmar Times.

However, associate judge from township court, Chan Aye Tharzan U Maung Maung Thet Lwin, said the success of a judiciary system was dependent on many parties. "All prosecution organizations are necessary for facilitating the efficiency of the judiciary system. Only with their support, can the judiciary system be successful," Thet Lwin said, pertaining the new preliminary court plan.

The Township courts are established under the Judiciary Law, 2010 and are mainly courts of original jurisdiction, according to the Ministry of Justice. Where there is no relevant statutory general law on point, the Myanmar Courts are commonly obliged to decide the matter according to justice, equity and good conscience.

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preliminary court, Chan Aye Tharzan township court, cases, Myanmar

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