Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin said on Monday that the committee in charge of clearing the backlog of court cases in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and the provincial courts has been reviewing the results of its one-month campaign before its second phase is implemented next week.

The committee, which is made up of four working groups, is supervised by the Ministry of Interior.

“The working groups will assess the results of the first month of the campaign. They will announce the results of the campaign once a month,” he said.

Minister of Justice Koeut Rith announced the launch of the campaign on May 18 after it was discovered that nearly 40,000 criminal cases had yet to be closed.

Rith said the campaign will reduce the number of pending cases by 50-70 per cent during the next six months.

The ministry said the committee was formed to assist the provincial courts in clearing cases and guaranteed the campaign’s success.

The ministry also noted that court prosecutors will play a major role in clearing the cases. They will have to take the initiative in clearing cases while ensuring they adhere to legal principles and the direction of the committee.