CJP chairs meeting on jail reforms

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman, National Judicial Automation Committee Justice Yahya Afridi on Friday chaired an online meeting to view the progress on the decisions taken regarding jail reforms in a meeting dated 2nd November held in Lahore.

Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Ms. Aalia Neelum, along with Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, Administrative Judge / Monitoring Judge of Prisons in Punjab represented the LHC, Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi, former Judge of the LHC, Secretaries of the Home and Prosecution Departments, Punjab, Inspector Generals of Police and Prisons departments, Punjab, Ms. Aminah Qadir, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer, Ahad Khan Cheema, Senator and Ms. Khadija Shah participated in the meeting.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan nominated Ms. Aminah Qadir as coordinator to the sub-committee on Jail Reforms and directed that she along with Ahad Khan Cheema and Ms. Khadija Shah, as per TORs of the committee, to visit the jails in Punjab in order to prepare a comprehensive report in consultation with other stakeholders of the criminal justice system.

Moreover, he stressed that all the stakeholders including the Lahore High Court, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Police and Prisons Departments shall facilitate the sub-committee.

Furthermore, he also asked the relevant institutions to share their views/recommendations regarding improvement in criminal justice system. It was further directed that after completion, the said report is to be shared with Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi which will be placed before the committee in its upcoming meeting.

The Chief Justice also instructed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan to provide full logistic support to the sub-committee members. The Chair expressed his resolve for his full support in the criminal justice system through law reforms.