Speedy justice: SC wants anti-terror courts to improve conviction rate
The Supreme Court's monitoring judge expresses dissatisfaction with the case disposal rate.
The monitoring judge reviewed the performance of the 18 ATCs currently functioning in Sindh. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
The Supreme Court's monitoring judge for anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Sindh, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, has directed the ATC judges to bring the conviction rate up to mark through expeditious trials, it emerged on Saturday.
The direction came during a meeting convened on Saturday at the SC Karachi Registry to review the performance of the ATCs in Sindh, following the renewed government policy to counter terrorism in the wake of the Peshawar school attack.
Sources said that Saturday's meeting was part of the judiciary's efforts to help the government deal with the growing challenge of terrorism through effective and speedy trials and satisfactory rate of convictions in terrorism-related cases.
The monitoring judge reviewed the performance of the 18 ATCs currently functioning in Sindh. A judicial official said that the apex court's monitoring judge expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made by the 18 ATCs, including the nine functional in Karachi, in cases related to terrorism, target killings, extortion and kidnapping for ransom.
The SC judge directed the presiding officers, the prosecutor-general and the inspector-general of police to overcome the loopholes by strengthening the investigation processes so that targets could be achieved.
Officials said that the important issue of security at the special ATCs also came under discussion in the meeting. The meeting also discussed the matter of transferring the trials of terrorism-related cases to the proposed military courts, which are being established under the 21st constitutional amendment. The meeting was attended by the Sindh High Court's monitoring judges for the ATCs in the province, the ATCs judges, the prosecutor general and other officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2015.
The Supreme Court's monitoring judge for anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Sindh, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, has directed the ATC judges to bring the conviction rate up to mark through expeditious trials, it emerged on Saturday.
The direction came during a meeting convened on Saturday at the SC Karachi Registry to review the performance of the ATCs in Sindh, following the renewed government policy to counter terrorism in the wake of the Peshawar school attack.
Sources said that Saturday's meeting was part of the judiciary's efforts to help the government deal with the growing challenge of terrorism through effective and speedy trials and satisfactory rate of convictions in terrorism-related cases.
The monitoring judge reviewed the performance of the 18 ATCs currently functioning in Sindh. A judicial official said that the apex court's monitoring judge expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made by the 18 ATCs, including the nine functional in Karachi, in cases related to terrorism, target killings, extortion and kidnapping for ransom.
The SC judge directed the presiding officers, the prosecutor-general and the inspector-general of police to overcome the loopholes by strengthening the investigation processes so that targets could be achieved.
Officials said that the important issue of security at the special ATCs also came under discussion in the meeting. The meeting also discussed the matter of transferring the trials of terrorism-related cases to the proposed military courts, which are being established under the 21st constitutional amendment. The meeting was attended by the Sindh High Court's monitoring judges for the ATCs in the province, the ATCs judges, the prosecutor general and other officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2015.