-attendance and -3 to 5 magistrates in -change in court fines punctuality of VCOs court sittings (increased from K100 to K200) and -peace officer keep maximum watch over court compensation process (increased from K1000 to K2000) Challenges -people criticised VCOs’ -transport, VCOs -parties not adhering -when people are not work moving between to court summons, satisfied with villages VCOs have to walk decisions in full court -people complaining miles to get them and appeal to district about VCOs on payroll -more workload court -when parties have -making defendants to -uniforms heated arguments in -transport to carry attend to court court out summons and -no office for VCOs court orders -VCOs on different -communications locations, difficulty of between VCOs -police not working communication/meeting or not supporting -correctly completing VCOs -VC asked to pay for use VC forms of areas for VC sittings -defendants not -transportation attending court -police not working with or not supporting VCOs Other comments -need specific training -VCOs must always be -VCLMS and PALJP -specific training for for clerks, completing informed regarding staff need to do clerks forms and quarterly changes to the laws more visits to the -need for community report VCs awareness about -training for clerks -VCOs has to move from -need specific changes in VC and VC -VCOs to conduct village to village to hear training for clerks processes community awareness cases, hence cases take about new laws and -consider refresher time to complete roles of VCOs course The community survey respondents and law and justice stakeholders identified the following strengths of the Village Courts:
-attendance and punctuality of VCOs -3 to 5 magistrates in court sittings -peace officer keep watch over court process -change in court fines (increased from K100 to K200) and maximum compensation (increased from K1000 to K2000) Challenges -people criticised VCOs’ work -people complaining about VCOs on payroll -making defendants to attend to court -VCOs on different locations, difficulty of communication/meeting -VC asked to pay for use of areas for VC sittings -transport, VCOs moving between villages -more workload -uniforms -no office for VCOs -parties not adhering to court summons, VCOs have to walk miles to get them -when parties have heated arguments in court -communications between VCOs -correctly completing VC forms -transportation -police not working with or not supporting VCOs -when people are not satisfied with decisions in full court and appeal to district court -transport to carry out summons and court orders -police not working or not supporting VCOs -defendants not attending court Other comments -need specific training for clerks, completing forms and quarterly report -VCOs has to move from village to village to hear cases, hence cases take time to complete -VCOs must always be informed regarding changes to the laws -training for clerks -VCOs to conduct community awareness about new laws and roles of VCOs -VCLMS and PALJP staff need to do more visits to the VCs -need specific training for clerks -consider refresher course -specific training for clerks -need for community awareness about changes in VC and VC processes The community survey respondents and law and justice stakeholders identified the following strengths of the Village Courts: