Soaring crime figures are stretching the court system to the limits said Chief Justice Richard Ground who predicted it would take a year to clear the backlog.

He said increased staffing and new procedures were tackling the problem but a third criminal Supreme Court was needed. He told Sandys Rotarians at the Henry VIII restaurant last night the long court list was caused by increased crime which has doubled the number of cases appearing in Supreme Court from 39 in 1999 to 88 so far this year.

However, he said he didn't know if the rise in cases was caused by better Police work or more lawlessness. He said between April and September Bermuda's Supreme Courts had heard 19 full jury trials which was more than the whole of last year.

Mr Ground said a clampdown on time-wasting had speeded matters while an Assistant Supreme Court Registrar had been appointed to ease administration while the Police had appointed a witness manager and Prosecutors had a litigation manager.

"On the judicial staffing side we already have a strong judicial team but there are not enough of us."

Cabinet had approved funding for two new full-time Bermudian judges said Mr Ground who called for the perks for judges to be increased to make the job more attractive.

"However none of this will be enough. We have eight new cases this month and that is about average and so it goes on. At the moment we are keeping pace but no more than that."

He said the system could handle 71 cases a year with two judges but it wasn't sufficient.

"We need accommodation to sit a third criminal court full time.

"The biggest challenge face by the judiciary is the old and scattered accommodation."

He said Supreme Courts Four and Five in Booth Hall, Court Street had mildew and damp and were rented from private landlords making renovation unwise. "We need a new unified court centre. I doubt if we will see it in my time but I do know that the Attorney General is very concerned by this and will do what is necessary to get it into Government's long term plan."

He said there was a plan to do it on the lot behind the registry on Front Street. He called for buildings around the parking lot to be renovated but that option would still be costly.

"We have to do something."

Mr. Ground defended the jury system but called for a reduction in numbers. He questioned whether 12 people were needed after pointing out that other islands had fewer including Jamaica which used seven.

Reducing the number would reduce administration and the amount of times people were called, he said.