JUDGES who tolerate and approve frequent proceeding postponements that were manipulated by lawyers of the accused — which obstruct the flow of justice — are cheating, favoring the accused and depriving the child victim of justice. Their tactic is to wear down the child victim with these postponements and exhaust his or her hope and determination of the child — and his or her supportive parent or relative — to entice them to accept a paltry out-of-court financial settlement. That alone is an admission of guilt and must not be tolerated.
There are many judges who are pursuing justice with transparency. There are also some who do not after falling into temptation. As I have previously written, there are 150 judges out of approximately 1,823 who face administrative charges for failing to resolve cases within 90 days, per the Supreme Court’s OCA Circular 243-2022. It says in part: “Delay in the disposition of cases deprives the litigants of their right to speedy disposition of their cases and tarnishes the image of the judiciary.” There are 362,000 unresolved cases in regional trial courts; in family courts, the number is 64,000.
The judges do not always deserve blame for frequent postponements, lengthy trials and delayed judgments. We must mobilize public support for the good judges and appeal to Supreme Court justices to help these embattled magistrates. Long postponements and hearings being reset delay the attainment of justice.
Some family courts appear to be overloaded with every kind of case, from adoptions to family disputes. And it seems child abuse cases are delayed due to frequent postponements. Court proceedings are delayed for months due to absent prosecutors, tardy defense lawyers, absent witnesses, and perhaps even missing pieces of evidence like documents.
Some judges have to postpone hearings, perhaps for months, every time. It is all very stressful for the child victims and also for the judges. To end such delays and speed up justice for child victims, the best suggestion is for Supreme Court justices to approve more family courts.
In other family courts, dedicated prosecutors and good judges rarely postpone hearings and they deliver justice speedily. In these more efficient courts, the children win an average of 20 convictions every year.
In 2024 alone, they won 27 convictions. Most of the convicted abusers are in jail, and the children they abused are now free from fear and abuse. They can heal and other children will be safe. A law establishing a children’s court is the answer to the long delays in getting justice for abused children./PN
