Committed to provide expeditious justice: CJ

Says alternate dispute resolution is a very important tool to reduce burden of courts

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said the judiciary is committed to provide expeditious justice despite challenges.

 “The judiciary has to apply laws and protect the Constitution and fundamental rights of the citizens,” he said on Saturday. “The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) has a vital role in reforming laws.”

The CJP expressed these views while chairing meetings of the National Judicial (Policy-Making) Committee (NJPMC), the governing body of the Access to Justice Development Fund (AJDF), and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) at the Supreme Court of Pakistan building.

He also laid stress on discouraging false and frivolous litigation.

The CJP said the alternate dispute resolution (ADR) is a very important tool to reduce burden of courts by amicable settlement of disputes. He appreciated the role of the ADR committee and the commission for taking initiatives to ensure effective implementation of the ADR framework in the country.

He also laid stress on the use of information technology by the judges, judicial officers, court staff and the bar to enhance the service delivery of the justice sector as well as capacity building and professional development of the judicial officers, lawyers and court staff.

He urged the chief justices of the high courts to take benefit of training programmes being imparted by the federal and provincial judicial academies.

While chairing the meeting of the AJDF governing body, the chief justice emphasized the need to expeditiously execute the projects for improvement of infrastructure in district courts especially to create facilities for women judicial officers, litigants and lawyers.

Justice Bandial asked high court chief justices to take keen interest in making this pivotal funding resource beneficial for the infrastructural development of the judiciary.

He said there is a lack of awareness about free legal aid available for deserving litigants.

“The district legal empowerment committees functioning across the country should create awareness about this aid available for the needy people,” he said.

The governing body later approved amendments to the rules for the committee to facilitate easy access to free legal aid. It also approved various project proposals for judicial and legal research, innovations in legal education, and legal awareness.

The governing body also gave its seal of approval to launching of the 13th phase of the AJDF to invite project proposals against the thematic areas to be finalized by the technical evaluation committee, headed by former SC judge Faisal Arab.

It also approved allocation of funds to improve court environment and legal and judicial research activities to be undertaken during the next year.

The CJP also chaired a meeting of the LJCP. The commission reviewed the criteria for legal research to improve the administration of justice and modernizing the laws.