Judicial reforms: Panel asks govt to help convicts secure release
Jails breeding criminals; no efforts made for reformation of prisoners.
ISLAMABAD:
Presiding over the National Judicial Policy-making Committee (NJPC), Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary said that the judiciary has to function independently without any pressure or influence.
The chief justice in his welcome address and on Saturday said the basic object of this event is to develop a mechanism to further improve the administration of justice. The committee observed that after the federal government framed rules in 2007 for provision of soft loans for payment of Diyat, Arsh and Daman, no sincere efforts were made to extend its benefit to deserving convicts. The committee asked provincial chief secretaries to examine their cases for distribution of funds. It directed provincial governments to post lady doctors in prisons where women prisoners are incarcerated.
The committee asked the government to construct judicial lockups (Bhakhshi Khanas) with the necessary facilities on court premises for under-trial prisoners. Members regretted that jails are breeding criminals and no efforts are being made for reformation of prisoners and their reintegration in society. They asked the jail administration to provide books and instructional material to prisoners. The NJPC observed that fake stamp papers are prepared with the connivance of stamp vendors and used for blackmailing innocent persons or establishing false claims. The committee directed the Board of Revenue to ensure that government stamps are sold in accordance with the rules and keep a check on stamp vendors to curb this practice.
The NJPC took serious note of the deterioration in the standard of legal education system and mushroom growth of sub-standard law colleges. It observed that despite lapse of considerable time, the Supreme Court’s judgment passed in case titled “Pakistan Bar Council vs Federal Government and others” has not been implemented.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.
Presiding over the National Judicial Policy-making Committee (NJPC), Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary said that the judiciary has to function independently without any pressure or influence.
The chief justice in his welcome address and on Saturday said the basic object of this event is to develop a mechanism to further improve the administration of justice. The committee observed that after the federal government framed rules in 2007 for provision of soft loans for payment of Diyat, Arsh and Daman, no sincere efforts were made to extend its benefit to deserving convicts. The committee asked provincial chief secretaries to examine their cases for distribution of funds. It directed provincial governments to post lady doctors in prisons where women prisoners are incarcerated.
The committee asked the government to construct judicial lockups (Bhakhshi Khanas) with the necessary facilities on court premises for under-trial prisoners. Members regretted that jails are breeding criminals and no efforts are being made for reformation of prisoners and their reintegration in society. They asked the jail administration to provide books and instructional material to prisoners. The NJPC observed that fake stamp papers are prepared with the connivance of stamp vendors and used for blackmailing innocent persons or establishing false claims. The committee directed the Board of Revenue to ensure that government stamps are sold in accordance with the rules and keep a check on stamp vendors to curb this practice.
The NJPC took serious note of the deterioration in the standard of legal education system and mushroom growth of sub-standard law colleges. It observed that despite lapse of considerable time, the Supreme Court’s judgment passed in case titled “Pakistan Bar Council vs Federal Government and others” has not been implemented.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.