Judicial system needs fundamental reforms: CJP

ISLAMABAD, Jan 25 (APP):Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar Thursday emphasized the importance of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in resolution of disputes without burdening the already overburdened formal justice system.
He said the judicial system needed fundamental reforms in laws to cope with the increasing litigation and to dispel the public perception about delay in justice.
Despite working hard and beyond office hours, the size of litigation was not decreasing, he said this while chairing a meeting of Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) here at the Supreme Court.
The CJP said one of the reasons for increasing litigation was non-availability of sufficient judges at all levels and absence of stringent provisions to discourage frivolous litigation.
He appreciated the efforts of the Lahore High Court for establishment of ADR centers to assist the litigants to resolve their disputes out of the court. He also lauded the role of Bar to support this initiative.
The Commission reviewed the implementation status of its law reform reports. The meeting was informed that out of 138 reports, 74 are yet to be implemented by the government. The representative of Ministry of Law informed the meeting that out of 74, working on sixty reports was in progress.
The Commission also considered the proposal of uniform recruitment rules for appointment of judicial officers across the country. After deliberations, Chief Justice asked the high courts to consider the proposal for framing uniform recruitment rules.
Riaz Ahmed ,Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan/Member LJCP, suggested amendment in the Oath Act. After deliberations, the CJP directed the Secretary, LJCP to prepare a proposal placing before the Commission in its next meeting.
The meeting discussed at length various proposals for delay reduction and expeditious dispensation of justice as dictated in the Constitution.
The meeting also considered proposals received from stakeholders for delay reduction, clearance of backlog and simplification of procedure and laws to ensure speedy justice.
After deliberations, the CJP requested the members for their feedback on the shared proposals for consideration in the next meeting of the Commission.
The meeting was attended by Ashtar Ausaf Ali, Attorney General for Pakistan, Justice Sheikh Najam ul Hassan, Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court, Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai, Chief Justice High Court of Balochistan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Justice Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh, Chief Justice High Court of Sindh, Justice Yahya Afridi, Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court, Khawar Mumtaz, Chairperson, National Commission on Status of Women, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Former Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan / Chairman, NIRC, Justice Jamshed Ali Shah, Former Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Arif Hussain Khilji, Former Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan, M. Riaz Ahmed, Senior Advocate Supreme court of Pakistan.