Afghanistan, Five Years On: Backlogs, Shortages Hamper Afghan Courts

Half of these judges are unqualified, Chief Justice Azimi says. Moreover, judges in Afghanistan don't make a living wage. And Azimi is unable to monitor caseloads in remote areas because his ministry lacks proper computers. "People in Afghanistan need legitimate institutions to resolve their problems," says Alex Their, a senior rule-of-law adviser at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
He says these local discussions get better results than formal courts today, but adds that there are drawbacks: "There are certain traditional practices in Afghanistan which violate human rights. Those practices are carried forward particularly at the village level."