Improving justice system

Experts attribute delay to the complexities inherent in the legislative acts designed to regulate the judicial system

Justice delivery system in Pakistan has since long been a real cause for concern for hundreds of thousands of litigants who, in most of the cases, spent a lifetime to see an end to their sufferings, with their grievances and complaints being disposed of justly and judiciously. Who is responsible for this state of affairs? What are the main factors contributing to this delay in the justice delivery system? There are as many answers to these questions as the number of stakeholders.

Some experts attribute it to the complexities inherent in the legislative acts designed to regulate the judicial system. A few others point towards the petty interests and unprofessional conduct of the members of the Bar. But most of the experts place a blame on the investigation system of the police that is ruthlessly manipulated on the whims of the powerful and influential, especially in criminal cases.

Successive jurists, who had served the superior judiciary, have not only admitted the shortcomings in the system, but had also suggested measures to help improve the system. During the last one month, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, has repeatedly drawn the attention of all stakeholders while calling for remedial measures to bring about fairness and quality in the prevailing system. Addressing the meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee on Monday, Justice Khosa stressed the need for bringing reforms in the system while remaining within the existing legal framework. In this regard he announced the establishment of model courts at district level to conduct trial on a day-to-day basis to ensure early disposal of cases. Now it is for the government not only to fill the vacant positions of the judges but also help the judiciary in implementing the plan for model courts at the district level.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2019.

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