Delays in the Criminal Justice System: An Empirical Study of Case Backlogs and Their Causes in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study investigates the nature, extent, and underlying causes of delays in the criminal justice system within Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe. Persistent case backlogs represent one of the most critical challenges confronting the administration of justice in developing nations, resulting in prolonged pre-trial detention, erosion of public trust, and systemic violations of the constitutional right to a fair and expeditious trial. Using a mixed-methods empirical approach, this research collects quantitative data from court records and qualitative data through interviews with magistrates, prosecutors, defence lawyers, police officers, and accused persons or remand prisoners. The study examines structural, procedural, human resource, infrastructural, and socio-economic factors that contribute to case accumulation and slow resolution in the region. Findings are expected to provide an evidence-based foundation for targeted policy reforms, resource allocation strategies, and institutional capacity building within the Zimbabwean criminal justice system. The study is anchored in the right to a fair trial as enshrined in Section 69 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and draws on comparative jurisprudence from neighbouring jurisdictions in Southern Africa.