Human rights lobby group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) is intensifying calls for urgent measures to clear the backlog at the Spanish Town Coroners Court.

In its quarterly e-brief on reform matters, the JFJ highlighted what it calls the dead wait in the Spanish Town Coroners Court.

The group referred to eight cases its been monitoring which have been called up numerous times, but are yet to be settled.

The JFJs executive director, Dr Carolyn Gomes, said this is bad news for witnesses and many other people involved in the matters.

The JFJ has also pointed to poor procedural practices, which are contributing to the delay in serving witnesses subpoenas to attend court.

The report says to make matters worse, there is the unavailability of jurors, inadequate staff to caseload and low priority on Corners court matters.

Last year, a Bill to amend the Coroners Act was passed to allow for the appointment of a Special Coroner to deal with cases involving killings by agents of the State.

However, that special prosecutor is yet to be appointed.