KOTA KINABALU
The state Government has allocated seven acres of land in Likas for building a new court building, said Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum.
He said the current Kota Kinabalu Court building is now too congested. Richard added some designs had been shown to them but no concrete decision had been made yet.
"Perhaps members of the Bar can come up with some suggestions on the design of the new court house. We should make it a landmark of Kota Kinabalu in the same way as this courthouse (the current Kota Kinabalu Court building) in the late sixties and seventies," Richard said in his address at the opening of Legal Year 2008 here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Richard also said that computerization of the Sabah courts on a pilot scale is also in the final stage of planning.
"Due to the flight problems between the major towns in the State, video conferencing is being seriously considered: When implemented, it will link Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau thus saving time and money for both lawyers and their clients," Richard said.
He further said the introduction of Electronic Case Management (ECM) is also being considered.
"It is already in use in Sarawak. It has many beneficial features intended to expedite the registration and management of cases filed in courts." Richard added.
Earlier Datuk John Sikayun who is the president of Sabah Law Association said in his speech that as the number of litigants and the volume of cases before the courts increased, the situation of the Kota Kinabalu Courts was becoming critical.
John added more personnel and space were required to meet the workload and the present building would soon be inadequate to cater for the rising needs of the courts such as courtrooms, detention rooms, libraries and resource rooms, parking spaces and security.
He said the current Kota Kinabalu Court building is now too congested. Richard added some designs had been shown to them but no concrete decision had been made yet.
"Perhaps members of the Bar can come up with some suggestions on the design of the new court house. We should make it a landmark of Kota Kinabalu in the same way as this courthouse (the current Kota Kinabalu Court building) in the late sixties and seventies," Richard said in his address at the opening of Legal Year 2008 here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Richard also said that computerization of the Sabah courts on a pilot scale is also in the final stage of planning.
"Due to the flight problems between the major towns in the State, video conferencing is being seriously considered: When implemented, it will link Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau thus saving time and money for both lawyers and their clients," Richard said.
He further said the introduction of Electronic Case Management (ECM) is also being considered.
"It is already in use in Sarawak. It has many beneficial features intended to expedite the registration and management of cases filed in courts." Richard added.
Earlier Datuk John Sikayun who is the president of Sabah Law Association said in his speech that as the number of litigants and the volume of cases before the courts increased, the situation of the Kota Kinabalu Courts was becoming critical.
John added more personnel and space were required to meet the workload and the present building would soon be inadequate to cater for the rising needs of the courts such as courtrooms, detention rooms, libraries and resource rooms, parking spaces and security.
