Police investigations delay 3 490 magistrate court cases in March

Namibian magistrate courts recorded 11 892 postponed cases in March alone, with police investigations accounting for 3 490 delays, figures released by the Office of the Judiciary show.

The figures reflect continued pressure on the lower courts from rising backlogs.

A further 254 cases were delayed because dockets were not available, the data shows.

The numbers were provided by judiciary spokesperson Vikitoria Hango in response to questions from Namibian Sun.

Hango said delays can happen at every stage of the criminal justice process.

“Delays can occur at all stages and are largely stakeholder-dependent,” she said.

She added that the time it takes to finalise a matter depends on the seriousness and complexity of each case, with some matters being resolved quickly when accused persons plead guilty, while others require lengthy investigations.

However, the March numbers suggest police investigations remain the clearest pressure point in the system.

Senior counsel Murry Shikongo agreed.

“A backlog of cases is mostly caused by these long investigations. Investigations take long to finalise,” he said.

Shikongo said delays in approving legal aid for accused persons in serious criminal matters also contribute to congested court rolls.

He further criticised what he described as a pattern where suspects are arrested before investigations are complete.

“People are arrested first and then investigations are done afterwards, which is not supposed to be the case,” he explained.

Shikongo said this can result in accused persons spending lengthy periods in custody while the State continues gathering evidence.

Stuck behind bars

The Office of the Judiciary said one of the most serious consequences of delays is prolonged pre-trial detention for accused persons who cannot afford bail or who are denied bail.

Hango said victims are also prejudiced when matters are not heard within a reasonable time, describing speedy justice as a key principle of the legal system.

She said common reasons for postponements also include shortages of prosecutors or magistrates, unavailable interpreters, and the absence of accused persons or witnesses.

The worst backlog pressures are being experienced in the Oshakati division, which covers Oshikoto, Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena, and the Rundu division, which covers Kavango East, Kavango West and Katima Mulilo.

Those divisions record the highest backlogs because of the large volume of matters enrolled there, Hango said.

Relentless pressure

The scale of the challenge was highlighted earlier this year by Chief Justice Peter Shivute during the opening of the 2026 legal year.

Shivute said the combined backlog in magistrates’ courts increased from 57 090 cases at the end of 2024 to 63 679 cases in December 2025, representing an 11.5% rise.

He linked the increase to shortages of magistrates, inadequate administrative staff and budgetary constraints that continue to slow the movement of cases through the courts.

Shikongo said courts should more readily remove matters from the roll when repeated postponements become unreasonable while investigations continue outside the court process until the State is ready to proceed.

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