Specialized judicial training essential to meet emerging legal challenges: Law Minister

ISLAMABAD, Jul 07 (APP):Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, on Tuesday emphasized the need for specialized judicial education to equip judges with the knowledge and skills required to address emerging legal challenges arising from rapid technological advancement, evolving commercial practices, and changing societal needs.

The Minister made these remarks while addressing a delegation of Additional District and Sessions Judges participating here in the Research Society of International Law (RSIL) and Sindh Judicial Academy’s Cross-Provincial Judicial Fellowship Programme during their visit to the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Senator Tarar observed that the justice sector must continuously evolve to keep pace with technological innovation and changing societal needs. He stressed that expertise in technology law, commercial disputes, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was becoming increasingly essential for the judiciary and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to judicial capacity building and legal reforms.

Highlighting ongoing justice sector initiatives, the Minister informed the participants that nearly 1,400 judges, lawyers, government officials, academics, and professionals have so far benefited from the International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (IMAC)’s capacity-building programmes. He also noted that the Government was undertaking a comprehensive review of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), proposing over one hundred amendments to modernize Pakistan’s criminal justice system and improve the efficiency of criminal proceedings.

Earlier, Ehsan Ullah Khan, Registrar, IMAC, welcomed the delegation and underscored the importance of closer engagement between the judiciary and public institutions. Jamal Aziz, Executive Director, RSIL, and Dr. Arif Rajput, Director, Sindh Judicial Academy, briefed the Minister on the objectives of the Cross-Provincial Judicial Fellowship Programme.

During the visit, Ms. Aisha Rasool, Senior Consultant (Research), Ministry of Law and Justice, and Project Director, IMAC, highlighted the Centre’s mandate, achievements, and ongoing initiatives to strengthen mediation, arbitration, and judicial capacity in Pakistan. She also briefed the delegation on IMAC’s efforts to promote internationally accredited ADR training and support the Government’s broader justice sector reform agenda.

Earlier, Mr. Gulfam Hameed, Additional Director, presented an overview of the Ministry’s mandate and major legal reform initiatives.

The programme concluded with remarks by Raja Naeem Akbar (H.I.), Federal Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, who reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to judicial reform, institutional collaboration, and strengthening the rule of law. He underscored the Ministry’s commitment to supporting judicial capacity-building initiatives and fostering a modern, accessible, and efficient justice delivery system.

The visit concluded with an interactive discussion between the judges and senior Ministry officials on legislative reforms, ADR, judicial modernization, and the future of Pakistan’s justice system.

The visit formed part of the Fellowship’s institutional engagement programme, designed to expose judicial officers to the Ministry’s key legal reforms, institutional innovations, and justice sector initiatives.