Bandar Seri Begawan - Criminal cases registered at the Magistrate's Court from across all four districts have seen a decline, while cases pertaining to matters of bankruptcy and criminal activities in both the High Court and Intermediate Court experienced an increase in 2012 when compared to the previous year.

This was announced by Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli at the opening of the Legal Year 2013 at the Supreme Court building in Jalan Tutong, yesterday.

Some 1,989 criminal cases were registered in the Magistrate's Court last year, a drop of 719 cases when compared to 2011.

Kuala Belait also saw a drop from 2011 with 296 cases being registered, a reduction of 45 cases. In Tutong, 151 cases were registered, which was 81 less than in 2011; while only four cases were registered in Temburong, which was nine cases less than in 2011.

Regarding bankruptcy, 661 notices were received in 2012, an increase of 32 from 2011; 661 receiving orders were made in 2012, an increase of 72 from 2011; and 51 adjudication orders were made in 2012, an increase of three from the previous year.

The Intermediate Court had 197 civil cases and 28 criminal cases registered in 2012, an increase of seven and a decline of 10 respectively, from 2011.

Twenty-eight criminal cases were registered with the High Court in 2012, more than double that of the previous year; and 97 civil cases were also filed, which was less than the 127 registered in 2011.

Civil appeals from the High Court and Intermediate Court to the Court of Appeal in 2012 numbered 12, which was eight less than in 2011; while criminal appeals to the Court of Appeals in 2012 numbered 19, an increase of 11.

Last year, four capital cases comprising three drug cases and one murder case were brought before the High Court and are currently awaiting trial.

There were 53 criminal appeals and three civil appeals made to the High Court from the Magistrate's Court.

High Court and Intermediate Court civil cases (chamber hearings) that were registered to be heard before senior registrars and registrars increased by seven from 387 in 2011 to 394 in 2012.

In 2012, the Registry of Civil Marriages registered 284 marriages, with 36 divorces also being heard the same year.

Civil cases registered in the Magistracies for Bandar Seri Begawan were 1,182 suits in 2012, a drop from 1,400 in 2011; in Kuala Belait, 236 suits were registered, a drop from the 287 filed in 2011; in Tutong, 207 suits were registered, a drop from 284 filed in 2011; while Temburong experienced no civil matters being registered.

Inquests in Bandar Seri Begawan stood at 27 in 2012, where it was 23 in 2011; in Tutong, four were registered in 2012, a drop from 12 in 2011, with nothing registered in both Temburong and Kuala Belait for 2011 and 2012.

Applications made under the Lunacy Act in Bandar Seri Begawan stood at 79 in 2012 and 58 in 2011; in Kuala Belait, 10 in 2012 and 13 in 2011, with no applications made in Tutong for both 2011 and 2012.

Statutory declarations filed in Bandar Seri Begawan stood at 16,370 in 2012 and 16,996 in 2011; in Kuala Belait, 2,511 in 2012 and 3,497 in 2011; in
Tutong, 2,033 in 2012 and 1,156 in 2011, and in Temburong, 150 in 2012 and 218 in 2011.

In Bandar Seri Begawan, 275 applications for Letters of Administration were registered in 2012 with 205 of the requests being granted, while seven applications for Probate were registered with five being granted; in Tutong, 31 applications for Letters of Administration were registered in 2012 and 31 of these requests were granted; in Kuala Belait, 81 applications for Letters of Administration were registered in .2012 with 73 requests being granted, while five applications for Probate were both registered and granted; in Temburong, seven applications for Letters of Administration were registered in 2012 and six of these requests were granted.

The total revenue collected last year amounted to $6,810,368.73, an increase from $6,301,256.26 in 2011.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin