Magistrates Court Research Articles

Harnessing a records management programme for justice delivery at the Alice magistrate court in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

This article focuses on harnessing a records management programme for justice delivery at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The objectives of the study were to find the extent to which court records are managed for justice delivery, the influence of court records in court processes, and the challenges, if any, of managing court records for justice delivery. The population of the study comprised all those who created and used court records at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Quantitative data were coded and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010 while qualitative data were analysed using emerging themes based on the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that although records were important for justice delivery by the court, there were challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure, the lack of necessary knowledge and skills, ineffective control of records for justice delivery, and inadequate facilities for preservation and security of records. The study recommended improvement of the existing records management programme as a strategy. This is necessary for effective and efficient records management programme for justice delivery by the Alice Magistrates’ court.

FOSTERING BY CAREGIVERS WITH NO COMMON-LAW DUTY OF SUPPORT: AT LAST, SOME CLARITY IN THE LAW SS v Presiding Officer, Children’s Court, Krugersdorp 2012 (6) SA 45 (GSJ)

Some serious shortcomings in foster care law which adversely affected large numbers of children have been addressed recently in SS v Presiding Officer, Children’s Court, Krugersdorp (2012 (6) SA 45 (GSJ), hereinafter SS) and Manana v Presiding Officer, Children’s Court, Krugersdorp (SAFLI I (A3075/2011) [2013] ZAGPJHC 64 (12 April 2013), hereinafter Manana). For reasons of scope, and because the issues were somewhat different, the discussion below primarily offers an analysis of the former judgment. As will be seen, SS provided the first reported solutions to some severe problems affecting numerous children and is thus worthy of consideration in its own right. By way of background, one consequence of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa is that many children are left to be nurtured by extended family members or non-relatives, rather than by biological parents. Substitute caregivers often have limited financial means and apply to children’s courts to be designated as foster parents. Where they are successful they become eligible for monthly fostercare grants paid by the state. The best available legal ground for many foster-parent applications is contained in section 150(1)(a) of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (the “Act”). Unfortunately, this provision has proved difficult for children’s courts to interpret. It sets as a ground for a child being “in need of care and protection” and thus eligible for foster care: “if, the child has been abandoned or orphaned and is without any visible means of support”. One uncertainty has been whether a child can be found to be abandoned in terms of this provision if currently receiving substitute care volunteered by a caregiver who has already replaced a parent. The phrase “without any visible means of support” has also been difficult tointerpret. It is unfortunate that in selecting this phrase the legislature relied on a vague, centuries-old description by English vagrancy law. Children’s court magistrates have understandably varied in their interpretations of section 150(1)(a). This has led to discrepancies in its application. A negative consequence has been that impoverished carers whose nurturing skills render them suitable parent substitutes sometimes fail in attempts to achieve foster-parent status. Vulnerable abandoned and orphaned children are then left with neither foster-care grants nor caregivers who can properly exercise parental responsibilities. This unfortunate situation, which is obviously not inthe best interests of children, has been a major concern for the department of social development. In SS, Saldulker J provided the first reported interpretation of section 150(1)(a). It will be shown that, although some issues were insufficiently dealt with, the judgment has brought much-needed clarity on several crucial aspects of foster-grant eligibility. It has also provided guidelines for eligibilityof foster-parent applicants who do not have a maintenance obligation in respect of the child. It has additionally provided directions for practitioners (particularly children's court magistrates and social workers) on evidence requirements and stages of proceedings in foster-care applications.

Does Court Type, Size and Employee Satisfaction Affect Court Speed?. Hierarchical Linear Modelling With Evidence from Kenya

In most judicial institutions, well-functioning courts are usually expected to process a large volume of work within demanding timelines. For courts to have played their role of enhancing access to justice, the yardstick of success is often viewed through the lens of the speed attained in rendering justice. In Kenya, despite the desirable timeline for finalizing most of the cases being ‘within 360 days’ from the date of case filing in courts, by the end of June 2020, 58 per cent of the unresolved cases had surpassed this timeline and subsequently classified as backlog. In the period 2018/19, the percentage of civil cases that were resolved within the set timeline by High Court and Magistrate Court, the two largest court types by volume of work, was 37 and 42 per cent respectively. Over the same period, the percentage of criminal cases that were resolved within the set timeline was 42 and 84 per cent for the two court types respectively. Evidently therefore, the Kenyan courts had not managed to resolve cases within the desirable timeline. To unearth the reasons that could be occasioning the delay, this study investigated the factors that were potentially affecting court speed. Specifically, the study set out to determine the variation in court speed attributable to court type, and further analyze the effect of court size and employee satisfaction on court speed. This was achieved through the use of Hierarchical Linear Modelling, cross sectional data for the period 2018/19 and estimation using Restricted Maximum Likelihood technique. The results revealed the existence of relatively high variation in court speed that is attributable to court type, and that the smaller the court size, the higher the court speed. Further, high level of employee satisfaction was found to increase timely resolution of cases. Consequently, diverse strategies and policy actions for enhancing court speed have been suggested. Keywords: Court Speed, Court Type, Court Size, Employee Satisfaction, Hierarchical Linear Modelling DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/110-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Audit of delays in the diversion of mentally disordered defendants under the Mental Health Act 1983/2007 at a liaison and diversion service in North West London

AimsTo ascertain the length of time defendants wait for a Mental Health Act assessment (MHAA) and where necessary, how long they are waiting for a hospital bed.BackgroundThe Liaison and Diversion Service in North West London (the Service) is provided by Central North West London Foundation NHS Trust (CNWL), Barnet Enfield Haringey (BEH) and Together to Willesden Magistrates Court in North West London.One of the core activities of the Service is diverting individuals from the criminal justice system to hospital under the Mental Health Act (MHA).The Code of Practice allows for a period of 14 days between the medical recommendation and conveyance to hospital. Defendants needing admission under MHA are remanded to custody if a bed is not available. This prevents them from receiving the assessment and care they need. We consider that all defendants found to be liable to detention under the MHA should be admitted to a hospital bed on the same day.MethodData were collected between October 2018 and February 2019. All patients referred for a MHAA were included. The time a MHAA was requested, took place as well as how long the defendant waited for a bed was noted.ResultA total of 42 MHAA were requested. 25 individuals were detained under Section 2 of the MHA 1983.The time between referral for a MHAA and the MHAA taking place was obtained in 25 of the 42 referrals. The range of times between a referral being made and the assessment taking placed varied between 1.5 hours and 22 hours. Two defendants were remanded overnight in prison as the MHAA could not take place on the same day as the referral.In the 25 cases where an application for detention under Section 2 of the MHA was made, beds were not available on the same day in 7 cases. In 4 cases defendants required remand in prison custody due to beds not being available.ConclusionThere were some limitations to this audit as data were not available for all 42 individuals referred for a MHAA.Individuals referred for MHAA by the Service had both medical recommendations completed within 5 days and those who required admission to hospital were admitted within 14 days of the recommendations being completed.Whilst these standards are being met, individuals referred for MHAA and those requiring admission to hospital are still facing remand to custody.

The Case Backlog Problem in Kenya's Judiciary and the Solutions

In this paper, I identify major challenges experienced by Kenya’s Judiciary that relates directly to the performance of its constitutional functions. I discuss major concerns on its judiciary’s budgets, which part of the court system bears the brunt of cases. I measure the efficiency of the judicial officers by the magistrates court, Kadhis court, high court, court of appeal and the most apex court, supreme court. each magistrate annually resolved 827 cases or 5 cases every two days. Employment and Labour Relations Court solved 352 cases per judge followed by the Environment and Land Court at 239 cases and the Court of Appeal at 68 cases. The supreme court resolved one case every month. The most efficient court is the Magistrates court. I also study the pending decisions to appoint Judges by the President and find that the delayed decision to appoint 41 judges has constrained the effectiveness of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, Environment and Land Court, and Court of Appeal collectively by 71%.

An empirical investigation of court users’ encounters with bribery, judicial extortion and corruption victimisation in Lagos State

This article examines the problem of corruption in the judicial system of postcolonial Nigeria using Lagos State Judiciary as a case study. The study is informed by the fact that, despite several decades of justice sector reforms in the country, some judges and court staff are still found culpable of abuse of the oath of their office. The study adopted direct encounters of court users to measure judicial corruption using a total sample of 827 litigants selected across the High and Magistrate Courts in Lagos State. The quantitative method of data collection was adopted. The study found that regularity at the court, type of court case, and category of litigant were significant predictors of vulnerability to judicial extortion, bribery and corruption victimisation in the court. Specifically, the study found that litigants with criminal cases were three times more likely to be asked for bribes and denied justice than those with civil cases. The implication of these findings for justice sector reform in Nigeria is that, the government, National Judicial Council and State Judicial Commission must deliberately block avenues and opportunities for bribery in criminal prosecution so as to protect the rights of the less privileged in the justice system.

Waiting Time Before Justice in the Law Sector: A QUEUEING Theory

The legal system in Nigeria is be-deviled with delayed justice which has become a source of concern to many person. This is very much peculiar to those who feel that the judiciary is too slow in resolving legal issues in Nigeria. In Nigeria, there abound court cases especially those of criminal dimensions that have ongoing for years now without reaching a conclusive conclusion. The study is aimed at modelling the queuing system in the magistrate courts in Onitsha Magisterial districts. The specific objectives include: to apply the M/M/2 and M/M/3 models with identical and parallel queues to criminal cases in the Magistrate court and to compare the efficiency of the two models and in either cases to determine time to justice in criminal cases in the Magisterial District. The results of the study show that M/M/2 model with 2 identical and parallel queues have an expected number of cases in the system as 39 with 50% idle time while the M/M/3 model with 3 identical and parallel queues have an expected number of cases in the system as 23 cases with 64.88% idle time. The comparison of the two models shows M/M/2 with 2-identical and parallel queues is more efficient as it has more number of cases to attend to and less idle time. The study therefore concludes that the delays in the disposal of cases especially those with criminal nature may not be attributable to the queuing systems in place. Even though lesser number of servers is seen to be efficient, this may not be advised. Increasing the number of servers though will increase speed of disposal of cases, may also lead to increased idle time of servers. As more courts being set up may result in waste of resources, manpower and time as the 2-server system is efficient in speeding up justice delivery in the magisterial division.

Bail pending appeal in Uganda

Article 23(6) of the Constitution of Uganda (1995) provides that an arrested person is ‘entitled’ to apply to court for bail. However, it is silent on the issue of bail pending appeal. Bail pending appeal is provided for in the Magistrates Courts Act, the Judicature Act and the Criminal Procedure Code Act. Although the Supreme Court, the highest court in Uganda, provided criteria for granting bail pending appeal, some high court and Court of Appeal judges, who are bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court, have ignored these criteria. There are conflicting high court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judgments on the questions of whether art 23(6) is applicable to bail pending appeal and whether the right to be presumed innocent is applicable to a person who is applying for bail pending appeal. There are notable controversies in the rich jurisprudence of the Supreme Court on bail pending appeal. In October 2020, one of the justices of the Supreme Court held that the Supreme Court does not have the jurisdiction to grant bail pending appeal and that Rule 6(2)(a), which empowers the Supreme Court to grant bail pending appeal, is unconstitutional. In November 2020, another Supreme Court justice granted an applicant bail pending appeal without even referring to her colleague’s decision which held that the court did not have jurisdiction to grant bail pending appeal. This article examines the jurisprudence developed by the courts of Uganda on the subject. The discussion focuses on the following issues: courts with jurisdiction to grant bail pending appeal; the right to bail pending appeal; the presumption of innocence and bail pending appeal; and conditions for granting bail pending appeal.

Проблемы взаимодействия полицейских урядников и мировых судей как форма отражения сущности буржуазных реформ второй половины XIX в. в России

The article is devoted to the insufficiently studied problem of interaction between the institutions of the magistrate’s court and police officials in the second half of the 19th century. The powers of a magistrate, as a representative of the judiciary, enshrined in the Charter of Criminal Proceedings, the Charter on Punishments Imposed by Justices of the Peace, were not limited to considering the case and bringing the guilty persons to justice, but made it possible to issue warnings to police officials. The procedural status of a police village constable was regulated by the charter of criminal proceedings and departmental regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Having consistently studied literary sources and archival materials, the author comes to the conclusion that procedural powers have found their application in the activities of police village constables. However, the lack of professional training and sufficient knowledge of regulatory legal acts became an obstacle in the implementation of the procedural powers of a police village constable. For the admission of violations of the fulfillment of the assigned duties when drawing up procedural acts against the guilty persons, the justices of the peace issued warnings to the police officials and reported this to the prosecutor. A commission created with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the second and the third sections of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Chancery to discuss the issue «On the abolition of the right granted to the magistrate courts by article 53 of the charter of criminal proceedings of the right to issue warnings to police officers» considered the powers of the magistrate court to prosecute police officials.

Manna from Heaven for Judges: Judges’ Reaction to a Quasi‐Random Reduction in Caseload

What is the impact of caseload on judicial decision making? Is increasing judicial staff effective in improving judicial services? To address these questions, we exploit a natural, near‐randomized experiment in the Israeli judiciary. In 2012, six senior registrars were appointed in two of the six magistrate's court districts. The choice of districts was motivated by reasons unrelated to judicial performance. In these two districts, the civil caseload per judge was substantially reduced. We find that the reduction had a significant impact on the process and outcomes of judicial decision making. Judges working in courts with reduced caseload invested more resources in resolving each case. The effect is mostly to the advantage of plaintiffs, who were more likely to win, recover a larger fraction of their claims, and be reimbursed for litigation costs. We discuss the implications for judicial management and theories about judicial decision making.

How do family members perceive re-integration of male state patients into their families in South Africa? A qualitative analysis.

BackgroundState patients are admitted to a psychiatric hospital after being declared as such by the magistrate courts as a result of not found fit to stand trial for the offence they had committed. After successful rehabilitation of state patients at the psychiatric hospital, they need to be re-integrated into their families. Family members’ perceptions regarding re-integration of male state patients are not largely explored in the scientific body of knowledge.AimThe aim of the study was to determine the perceptions of family members regarding reintegration of male state patients into their families.SettingThis study was conducted in Vhembe District of Limpopo province, South Africa.MethodA qualitative approach using explorative, descriptive and contextual designs was adopted. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 family members who were purposefully sampled, and data were thematically analysed using Tech Open Coding method.ResultsThree themes emerged, namely, family members understand re-integration; family members’ expectations from a mental healthcare user; and threat to re-integration as perceived by family members.ConclusionData revealed that family members have varied perceptions regarding re-integration. These perceptions were based on the behaviour displayed or an offence committed by the mental healthcare user before admission and how participants experienced it. The study recommends that an investigation is to be conducted on the kind of support family members need regarding re-integration of state patients into their families.

Reconsidering State Variation in Incarceration Rates

AbstractState incarceration rates have been a topic of much policy discussion. One notable issue missing from much of the literature concerns the various determinants that account for state differences in incarceration rates. Why are some states more or less likely to incarcerate their citizenry than other states? The article examines the 50 states in a cross‐sectional state comparative model. Using a dependent variable of state incarceration rates, we offer and test several explanatory models, including socioeconomic factors, political explanations, social control mechanisms, and structural factors. We find that socioeconomic explanations to be the most robust, but we find varying degrees of support for each of our four models.Related ArticlesGarrett, Terence Michael. 2020. “The Security Apparatus, Federal Magistrate Courts, and Detention Centers as Simulacra: The Effects of Trump's Zero Tolerance Policy on Migrants and Refugees in the Rio Grande Valley.” Politics & Policy 48 (2): 372‐395. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12348Mitchell, Joshua L., and Adam M. Butz. 2019. “Social Control Meets New Public Management: Examining the Diffusion of State Prison Privatization, 1979‐2010.” Politics & Policy 47 (3): 506‐544. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12309Morris, John C. 2007. “Government and Market Pathologies of Privatization: The Case of Prison Privatization.” Politics & Policy 35 (2): 318‐341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2007.00062.x

Separation of Judiciary in Bangladesh-Constitutional Mandates and Masdar Hossain Case’s Directions: A Post Separation Evaluation

In Bangladesh, the separation of the judiciary and its independence are constitutional mandates repeatedly declared in the judicial pronouncements; but no effective steps were taken by any governments before 2007. In order to fulfill the constitutional mandates and mandatory directions of the judgment of the Masdar Hossain case, the judiciary, particularly judicial magistrate courts were formally separated from the executive on 1st November 2007. More than 12 years have gone since the formal separation of the judiciary from the executive. Under these circumstances, this paper has been conducted to reveal whether all directions of Masdar Hossain case have been implemented and true separation of the judiciary from the executive or the legislature was established. From the analysis of the study, the findings as revealed are negative; therefore, the barriers have also been identified and explored in the paper.

Legal Standing of Victims in Criminal Proceedings: Wickham v Magistrate, Stellenbosch 2017 1 BCLR 121 (CC)

In late 2016, the Constitutional Court delivered judgment in a case, Wickham v Magistrate, Stellenbosch 2017 1 BCLR 121 (CC), involving Wayne Anthony Wickham (an aggrieved father and applicant in this case), who appealed against the decision of the Magistrate's Court in which he was denied the opportunity to hand up a victim impact statement. The thrust of his application was that his rights, as a victim of the crime in which his son was negligently killed by the fourth respondent, had been violated, and that this raised an arguable point of law of general public importance. The respondents, however, argued that the applicant lacked standing as the dominus litis in culpable homicide cases is the public prosecutor, and not the relatives of the deceased, or the victim. The case turned on whether the exercise of discretion by the Magistrate in denying Wickham the right to be heard was performed correctly; and whether a non-party to criminal proceedings could make an application for the review of the Magistrate's conduct. The article seeks to interrogate the rights of victims in criminal proceedings and aptly poses the following question: Do victims of crimes have a locus standi to be part of criminal proceedings?

The Security Apparatus, Federal Magistrate Courts, and Detention Centers as Simulacra: The Effects of Trump's Zero Tolerance Policy on Migrants and Refugees in the Rio Grande Valley

Trump's Department of Homeland Security implemented the Zero Tolerance policy from April 6 to June 24, 2018. Refugees, prevented from crossing the midpoints of bridges by Customs and Border Protection agents, crossed the Rio Grande to ask for asylum, were denied, and forced to cross at places deemed illegal by law. This resulted in misdemeanor violations for unlawful entry and fleeing immigration checkpoints. The policy initiative centered on the separation of children from their migrant parents—refugees fleeing from the northern triangle countries: El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Adult migrants were sent to prisons and holding facilities, brought before a magistrate to plead guilty, and were deported while their children were placed in government‐funded privately‐owned detention centers. Migrants contend with a security apparatus comprised of border walls, zones of surveillance, agents, and paramilitary troops. This article analyzes the United States (in)security system using Baudrillard's concept of simulacrum supplemented by Foucault's dispositif and Agamben's apparatuses.Related ArticlesByrne, Jennifer, and Gregory C. Dixon. 2013. “Reevaluating American Attitudes toward Immigrants in the Twenty‐First Century: The Role of a Multicreedal National Identity.” Politics & Policy 41 (1): 83‐116. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12002Duman, Yoav H. 2014. “Reducing the Fog? Immigrant Regularization and the State.” Politics & Policy 42 (2): 187‐220. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12065Silverman, Stephanie J. 2012. “‘Regrettable but Necessary?’ A Historical and Theoretical Study of the Rise of the U.K. Immigration Detention Estate and its Opposition.” Politics & Policy 40 (6): 1131‐1157. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00393.x

Management and Preservation of Court Records: A Case Study of the Mthatha Magistrate Court, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

The management and preservation of records is a crucial element in a records programme. This study investigated the management and preservation of court records, focusing particularly on the Mthatha Magistrate Court in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A mixed methods approach, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative methods, was used, and data were obtained through interviews, observations and questionnaires. Using purposive sampling, 35 staff members were sampled from the Mthatha Magistrate Court. The quantitative data that were obtained from questionnaires distributed to these 35 respondents were analysed using the IBM SPSS software package and were presented in graphs and tables. Four participants were interviewed, and the qualitative data obtained from these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the court officials depended entirely on records to fulfil their roles and that they acknowledged that records were vital for the administration of justice. In general, the results suggested that the management of records at the relevant court was ineffective, primarily in the creation phase. The study concluded that creators of court records should be responsible for their records so as to facilitate the smooth operation of the court. The study strongly recommended that the court should consider putting in place a general records management policy that should include the management of records only in an electronic form. The policy would give guidance for managing records and address issues such as records access, records security and preservation, as well as the management of electronic records.

The role of subordinate judiciary in enforcing citizens' rights: Bangladesh perspective

The onerous responsibility of the judiciary of a country is to protect citizens' rights enshrined in the constitution and general laws. Bangladesh Judiciary either higher judiciary or subordinate judiciary (lower judiciary) is also discharging its onerous responsibility enshrined in the constitution and under ordinary statutory laws in protecting citizens' rights. Bangladesh Judiciary especially magistrate courts were separated from the executive on 1st November 2007 and all other courts including Supreme Court and civil courts were separate and independent from the beginning of the birth of Bangladesh. In this paper, the researcher examines the role of the lower judiciary in enforcing and protecting citizens' rights in the period (2008-2016) where it is revealed that lower judiciary has played very positive role in the said period; it is also found that the disposal rate in judicial magistrate courts was increased in comparing with period of (1972-2007) but it was lesser than filing new cases in the period of (2008-2016).

The role of subordinate judiciary in enforcing citizens' rights: Bangladesh perspective

The onerous responsibility of the judiciary of a country is to protect citizens' rights enshrined in the constitution and general laws. Bangladesh Judiciary either higher judiciary or subordinate judiciary (lower judiciary) is also discharging its onerous responsibility enshrined in the constitution and under ordinary statutory laws in protecting citizens' rights. Bangladesh Judiciary especially magistrate courts were separated from the executive on 1st November 2007 and all other courts including Supreme Court and civil courts were separate and independent from the beginning of the birth of Bangladesh. In this paper, the researcher examines the role of the lower judiciary in enforcing and protecting citizens' rights in the period (2008-2016) where it is revealed that lower judiciary has played very positive role in the said period; it is also found that the disposal rate in judicial magistrate courts was increased in comparing with period of (1972-2007) but it was lesser than filing new cases in the period of (2008-2016).

Zamojscy sędziowie pokoju w latach 1917 – 1928

Artykuł przedstawia proces budowy sądownictwa polskiego najniższej instancji (sądów pokoju w Zamościu), ale także problemy z jakimi stykano się przy obsadzie stanowisk sędziów pokoju w pierwszych latach Odrodzonego Państwa Polskiego. Model sądu pokoju, jaki pojawił się od 1 września 1917 r., wraz z uruchomieniem sądownictwa królewsko-polskiego, przetrwał aż do reformy sądowej w 1929 r. W tym okresie utrzymano zasadę nominacji sędziów pokoju, mimo że Konstytucja marcowa z 1921 r. wskazywała na zasadę ich wyboru przez ludność. Na stanowiskach zamojskich sędziów początkowo orzekały osoby, które wyniosły swoje doświadczenie z rosyjskiego sądownictwa pokojowego w Królestwie Polskim, a także ci którzy powracali z ogarniętej wojną domową Rosji. Taka obsada była konsekwencją istnienia nielicznej grupy miejscowych prawników, w której – na skutek prowadzonej przez zaborcę rosyjskiego polityki narodowościowej – brakowało osób przygotowanych do pracy sędziowskiej. Z czasem, gdy sytuacja kadrowa ulegała poprawie m.in. po pojawieniu się pierwszych egzaminowanych aplikantów sądowych, stanowisko sędziego pokoju stawało się pierwszym szczeblem do dalszej kariery prawniczej. W analizowanym okresie 6 zamojskich sędziów pokoju zostało sędziami okręgowymi w sądach apelacji lubelskiej. Niektórzy z nich pozostawali krótko na stanowiskach sędziów pokoju (zwłaszcza zapasowych), oczekując na wakat w sądzie okręgowym. Jako sędziowie pokoju karierę swoją rozpoczęli także prezesi Sądu Okręgowego w Zamościu: Romuald Jaśkiewicz i Władysław Kozłowski. Po zakończeniu służby 2 zamojskich sędziów pokoju otrzymało nominację na stanowisko notariuszy, co stanowiło (z uwagi na osiągane dochody) wyraz wyróżnienia ze strony resortu sprawiedliwości.

Human fatalities due to outdoor electrocution with animal traps

Introduction:Trapping animals with live electric wires is a practice known to be used for protecting the crops from wild animals. Unauthorized cables which are connected to the distributing system of the electricity board are laid on agricultural lands to trap animals such as wild pigs and wild boars. The serious issue is associated with this practice is the accidental entrapment of humans to these traps resulting in injury and death. Methodology:This descriptive study analyzed the socio-demographic profile of the victims, injury patterns, determined the manner of death and the judgments given by the judiciary. Results: The study includes 14 deaths recovered from the agricultural fields with electrocution injuries on which the medico-legal autopsies were conducted by the researchers in two hospitals of the southern province. All the victims were males and the majority was in the 40-60 years. Electric entry marks were present in all on various parts of body. Injury varied due to different mechanisms like trapping, wrapping and griped with the cables. Majority of victims did not have any relationship with culprits. The live wire has been removed from the scene in 10 cases and the bodies were decomposed in 5 cases. Police identified culprits in 9 cases and those were filed in the Magistrate courts and the accused were bailed out. None of the cases directed to high courts. The manner of death was concluded as an accidental. Conclusion:It is important to implement the rules and regulations against the illegal practice of trapping of animals using high voltage electrocution.