Top court orders improvement in case management

Supreme Court takes exception to delayed issuance of cause list

ISLAMABAD:

Expressing concern over a growing backlog of cases, the Supreme Court has ordered its registrar office to improve its case management system in order to avoid adjournments.

A division bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday summoned SC Registrar Khawaja Daud in the courtroom and noted that the bench is receiving 4 to 5 adjournment applications daily.

“According to the Advocates on Record (AoRs), the SC Registrar Office issues cause list late on Friday and, therefore, they cannot inform counsels regarding ‘fixation’ of their cases on time,” Justice Isa said.

The SC registrar replied that the matter had already been placed before the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). The bench noted that it was also his duty to facilitate the CJP in this matter.

“Have you ever practiced as a lawyer?” Justice Isa asked the registrar. The judge said Saturdays and Sundays are holidays and lawyers do not appear due to lack of preparation on Mondays.

Justice Isa asked the registrar to evolve a system through which counsels could be made aware of the dates of their case hearings before time. The bench asked the registrar to also hold a meeting with the AoRs as “it is his duty to facilitate the litigants”.

“At least there should not be adjournment in a case, which is scheduled for hearing,” Justice Isa said.

Lawyers have already expressed concern over delay in issuance of cause lists by the registrar office.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) suggests that the SC office should issue a proposed cause list for the next two months. As of September 30, 45,448 cases were pending in the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed in his speech on the eve of new judicial year had said the biggest challenge faced by the judicial system is the backlog of cases.

"In order to reduce the pendency, various decisions were taken. These measures have not only proved beneficial for the smooth functioning of the court but the litigants are also benefiting from the same," he had said.