by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 17: Managing Judges have appointed to oversee Sabah and Sarawak courts to improve efficiency and judicial performance across the magistrates’, Sessions and High Courts, effective this year.
According to a report by New Straits Times, these managing judges are expected to oversee judicial performance, monitor case disposal rates and backlog levels, and identify systemic delays.
Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS) Datuk Azizah Nawawi said that while both states’ courts have shown steady progress and improved efficiency, some delays remain inevitable due to factors such as witness availability, expert reports, the complexity of evidence, and scheduling constraints.
Azizah said addressing these challenges demands continued vigilance, strategic case management, and the adoption of innovative solutions, including pre-trial conferences and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“For these purposes, and in view of increasing administrative workload in the CJSS’s office, another milestone for 2026 is the appointment of Managing Judges for Sabah and Sarawak.
“Justice Rhodzariah Bujang has been appointed as the Managing Judge for Sarawak, while Justice Azhahari Kamal Ramli assumes the role for Sabah.
“With their extensive experience as High Court judges in Sabah and Sarawak, coupled with their tenure as appellate judges, I am confident they will further strengthen judicial administration.
“In their capacity as Managing Judges, they will oversee judicial performance from an administrative perspective by monitoring key indicators such as case disposal rates, backlog levels and the timeliness of delivery of grounds of judgment, while identifying systemic delays or performance issues in the Magistrate Court, Sessions Court and High Court,” she said during the Opening of Legal Year 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Friday (Jan 16).
Meanwhile, she noted that the High Court of Sarawak disposed of 3,236 out of 4,263 registered civil cases, and 332 out of 776 criminal cases while the High Court of Sabah disposed of 2,038 out of 3,039 registered civil cases and 534 out of 925 criminal cases in 2025, including cases carried forward from previous years.
At the Sessions Court level, Sabah recorded the disposal of 2,660 out of 3,459 civil cases and 7,070 out of 8,183 criminal cases, while Sarawak disposed of 2,554 out of 3,645 civil cases and 5,346 out of 6,209 criminal cases.
The Magistrates’ Courts in Sabah disposed of 9,645 out of 11,530 civil cases and 21,855 out of 26,164 criminal cases, while those in Sarawak recorded disposals of 7,598 out of 9,177 civil cases and 16,651 out of 20,839 criminal cases. – DayakDaily
