Just treatment Top judge sets up provincial justice committees
The committee shall be a forum for provincial inter-organisational coordination and cooperation
The committee shall be a forum for provincial inter-organisational coordination and cooperation. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Thursday constituted provincial apex bodies in an effort to improve dispensation of justice in the country.
“Pursuant to the decision of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) of May 30, the chief justice, being head of the NJPMC, has constituted provincial justice committees (PJCs) under the chairmanship of respective high court chief justices to ensure effective coordination, policy and planning, and implementation to improve the quality of justice service delivery,” a notification read.
According to the notification, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, each provincial justice committee will be comprised of 12 provincial judicial and government functionaries.
Members of the committees are: home secretary, provincial law secretary, secretary prosecution, inspector general police, prosecutor general, IG prison, advocate-general, senior most working district & sessions judge, director anti-corruption, secretary Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) and any official or person selected as observer member by the PJC concerned.
Likewise, a justice committee has been formed at the federal level led by the Islamabad High Court’s chief justice. Its members include: secretary LJCP, secretary law, secretary interior, advocate general, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Islamabad District & Sessions Judge Muhammad Tanveer Muhammad and any official or person selected as observer member by the committee.
The committee shall be a forum for provincial inter-organisational coordination and cooperation.
According to the notification, the committees will review the law and order status in their respective provinces and take necessary measures to enhance the operation and effectiveness of the organisations maintaining rule of law.
The provincial apex bodies have been given the mandate to review performance and provide policy guidance to the District Criminal Justice Coordination Committees (DCJCCs) or their equivalent bodies.
The committees have also been asked to make recommendations to the federal and provincial governments and LJCP to strengthen institutions and organisations tasked with maintaining rule of law to improve service delivery.
It will be mandatory for the chairman of each committee (respective high courts CJs) to submit a three months’ performance report to the chief justice of Pakistan.
The LJCP has prepared a report, “Transforming the Criminal Justice System” on the working of PJCs.
Chief Justice Jamali, in his remarks in the report, says that “the provincial justice committees are strategic bodies that are key to leading reforms including coordination and planning as they can connect different justice actors as a sector, and connect planning and service delivery through district criminal justice committees, and their respective local service delivery units like police stations, courts, etc”.
The chief justice also urges PJCs to formulate a plan of action driven by a competent assessment of needs, problem identification and solutions.
Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali says provincial justice committees will ultimately inform the national narrative on the criminal justice system.
“After years of sustained neglect, the problems we face are many and multifaceted -- from botched evidence collection hampering investigation to poorly trained prosecutors failing at trial. Judges have to contend with an overburdened infrastructure, constant intimidation, inordinate delay and an utter lack of empirical data at every stage of the process. The result has been the conviction rate in the single digits and citizen’s faith in rule of law fatally undermined.”
In view of the prevailing situation, the attorney general suggested that lodging an FIR or a complaint should be made possible after a complete investigation as is done in the case of the Federal Investigation Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2016.
Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Thursday constituted provincial apex bodies in an effort to improve dispensation of justice in the country.
“Pursuant to the decision of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) of May 30, the chief justice, being head of the NJPMC, has constituted provincial justice committees (PJCs) under the chairmanship of respective high court chief justices to ensure effective coordination, policy and planning, and implementation to improve the quality of justice service delivery,” a notification read.
According to the notification, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, each provincial justice committee will be comprised of 12 provincial judicial and government functionaries.
Members of the committees are: home secretary, provincial law secretary, secretary prosecution, inspector general police, prosecutor general, IG prison, advocate-general, senior most working district & sessions judge, director anti-corruption, secretary Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) and any official or person selected as observer member by the PJC concerned.
Likewise, a justice committee has been formed at the federal level led by the Islamabad High Court’s chief justice. Its members include: secretary LJCP, secretary law, secretary interior, advocate general, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Islamabad District & Sessions Judge Muhammad Tanveer Muhammad and any official or person selected as observer member by the committee.
The committee shall be a forum for provincial inter-organisational coordination and cooperation.
According to the notification, the committees will review the law and order status in their respective provinces and take necessary measures to enhance the operation and effectiveness of the organisations maintaining rule of law.
The provincial apex bodies have been given the mandate to review performance and provide policy guidance to the District Criminal Justice Coordination Committees (DCJCCs) or their equivalent bodies.
The committees have also been asked to make recommendations to the federal and provincial governments and LJCP to strengthen institutions and organisations tasked with maintaining rule of law to improve service delivery.
It will be mandatory for the chairman of each committee (respective high courts CJs) to submit a three months’ performance report to the chief justice of Pakistan.
The LJCP has prepared a report, “Transforming the Criminal Justice System” on the working of PJCs.
Chief Justice Jamali, in his remarks in the report, says that “the provincial justice committees are strategic bodies that are key to leading reforms including coordination and planning as they can connect different justice actors as a sector, and connect planning and service delivery through district criminal justice committees, and their respective local service delivery units like police stations, courts, etc”.
The chief justice also urges PJCs to formulate a plan of action driven by a competent assessment of needs, problem identification and solutions.
Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali says provincial justice committees will ultimately inform the national narrative on the criminal justice system.
“After years of sustained neglect, the problems we face are many and multifaceted -- from botched evidence collection hampering investigation to poorly trained prosecutors failing at trial. Judges have to contend with an overburdened infrastructure, constant intimidation, inordinate delay and an utter lack of empirical data at every stage of the process. The result has been the conviction rate in the single digits and citizen’s faith in rule of law fatally undermined.”
In view of the prevailing situation, the attorney general suggested that lodging an FIR or a complaint should be made possible after a complete investigation as is done in the case of the Federal Investigation Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2016.