Towards digitisation: For prosecutors, a web portal to record cases

Law officers directed to upload case progress reports on website

LAHORE: In a significant step towards streamlining the data of all court cases related to the government, all prosecutors in Punjab have been asked to upload case progress on a web portal. The website, however, will only be accessible to the prosecution department.

The move by the prosecution department aims to devise a mechanism for not only monitoring case progress but also the efficiency of the prosecutors all over the province.

The prosecutors have been directed to upload the case status, routine proceedings, any development, details of FIRs, charge-sheets, any incidents, victims’ status, complainant’s status and other important case-related details.



While the government’s intent is noteworthy, the worrying part is the competency of the prosecutors. Many law officers have complained to District Public Prosecutor Azhar Hussain Malik that they do not know how to make excel sheets and upload the information on the website as the process is complicated.

The prosecutors complained if they will prepare their cases to plead or upload the case details on website. They wondered if the government would give the officers laptops, internet along with the monthly charges and separate rooms, where they could sit and upload the data and other important articles.

The DPP has written to Prosecution Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Shah and conveyed him the problems pointed out by the prosecutors. He stated that considerable time of four to five hours was required for the preparation of 9(7) report, whereas, a memo of 9(5) especially in a murder case takes at least two hours.

The 9(7) report is the scrutiny of the completed charge-sheet by a prosecutor under Section 9, Sub-Section 7 of Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service Act, 2006. The 9(5) memo is the prosecutor’s observations on the missing points in a charge-sheet completed under Section 9, Sub-Section 5 of the same act.

Azhar has suggested that two wings of prosecution be established under the administrative control of the DPP: a pre-trial prosecution wing and a trial prosecution wing. This would make the prosecutorial work more efficient, rapid and smooth. He has also recommended hiring data operators for the prosecutors in order to computerise the case records.

Several prosecutors seeking anonymity told The Express Tribune that they spend most of the time pleading their cases in courts, examining charge-sheets and getting parties cross examined. Every court hears more than 100 cases in a day and how could they manage to upload the case details on the web portal under these circumstances, they added.

When contacted, the prosecution department secretary said under this programme, the authorities could determine the progress on the cases and find out who was responsible of the delay.

When asked about the reservations of the prosecutors, he said that laptops have been provided to the prosecutors and they could manage having internet on their end. Even then the prosecutors will be provided with Wi-Fi dongles.

Murtaza urged the prosecutors to learn how to operate Microsoft Excel and how to upload the information on the web portal rather than making excuses.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.