Magistrate Will Francis this week.

About 12 defendants, who had all been issued with parking tickets more than a year ago, were told that their cases could not proceed until the outcome of an appeal to be held later this month.

Last month magistrate Edward King dismissed a stack of defendants after he realised that their cases were months old. The law states that parking cases have to be heard within a certain time frame.

The installation of a new court computer system has resulted in a delay in summonses to parking offenders being issued. The backlog could mean hundreds of parking offenders who have not paid their fines being acquitted.

But the Attorney General has lodged an appeal against Mr. King's original ruling which will be heard in the Supreme Court on January 27.

This week Mr. Francis told the defendants: "I will suggest that I will further adjourn these matters until we know the outcome of the appeal.

"As you may know there are quite a number of people who were acquitted by another magistrate because that magistrate felt there was something wrong with the way in which these cases were brought to court.

"That is being appealed but none of your cases are being appealed because no decision has been made with respect to your matters.''