More accused persons requesting psychiatric evaluation - Judiciary Report

The latest data from the judiciary has revealed that more accused persons in the country’s courts are requesting psychiatric evaluation.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya delivered the annual Judiciary Reports for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years.

Maya said that South Africa’s judiciary was under strain, contending with issues including failing infrastructure and not enough judges.

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The number of mental health applications and how quickly they are processed has been included in the latest Judiciary Reports, as a measure of efficiency in the country’s high courts.

According to the report, over 6,600 applications for psychiatric evaluation were made by the accused in the 2023/2024 financial year, and that number rose to over 7,900 in the following year. This represents an approximate 20% increase.

More than half of those applications were made in the high court in Cape Town, and the court managed to finalise 98% of them during the 2024/2025 financial year.

However, no applications for psychiatric evaluation were made in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo High Courts during the period.

Mental health evaluations are often requested by the accused to determine their fitness to stand trial.