Bahrain's courts are serving swifter justice having handled 112,397 cases in the first three months of this year, almost the same number of cases concluded in the whole of last year.

Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa revealed the figures in a letter to MPs, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

He said the figures for this year included all ongoing, new and concluded cases, while the figures for last year excluded ongoing cases.

The cases in the first three months included 1,508 urgent civil cases, 27,916 civil cases, 5,191 civil appeals, 2,087 civil cases at the Cassation Court, 257 juvenile cases, 4,889 traffic cases, 13,098 criminal cases, 3,910 criminal appeals, 84 punishment appeals and 681 criminal cases at the Cassation Court.

There were also 5,182 cases in the Sharia (Islamic) Courts, 1,195 Sharia Court appeals and 46,299 execution orders said the report.

The cases were handled by 160 judges in 57 courtrooms, it added.

"In 2012, Bahrain signed an agreement with the Italy-based International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences to provide technical assistance to judges through different programmes that address human rights, judicial independence and justice," said Shaikh Khalid.

"Visits were also made to bodies that are concerned with human rights in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria and Spain to provide more protection during court proceedings," he noted.

"We are currently reevaluating our Legal and Judiciary Studies Institute to improve what's being presented to lawyers and judges and the new building will be opened within the next few months after work is completed, " he added.

"The ministry is working with the Supreme Judicial Council to establish new courts to fast-track cases, besides enabling dispute settlements through our offices without the need to go to court, or through having morning and evening courts."

He was responding to a question by parliament human rights committee chairman Ahmed Al Saati on cases handled by courts and ways to improve and speed up the justice system.-TradeArabia News Service