Latest news with #NationalJudicial(PolicyMaking)Committee
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Time for judicial assertiveness
Listen to article It's late but never too late. The decision from a statutory judicial body to uphold its independence and not to sway into executive pressure is most welcome. That is how justice must be seen to be done, especially at a time when the chips are down and courts and judicial officers are in a crisscrossing position after the 26th amendment that had come to negate its vibrancy and constitutional assertiveness. The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), in its 53rd meeting, resolved to devise a mechanism to report, investigate and resolve irritants that come to hinder the smooth sailing of judicial process. This is where the judiciary has lacked and the piling of cases, as well as maneuvering from other organs of the state, had cast it in a bad light. The fact that the superior body with the CJP in the chair brought to the fore the enigma of enforced disappearances was on the spot. This issue has been a constant annoyance for long as the courts found themselves perplexed and unable to assert their dictum. The plain-talking, thus, from Lords that the judiciary would not compromise on its constitutional duty to safeguard human rights must walk the talk, and visible change on the spectrum must be evident in their performance, decisions and implementation. The body's determination, likewise, to upgrade the system on modern lines by introducing technology; ensure a citizen-centric justice delivery; and institute a Commercial Litigation Corridor with special benches could not have been delayed any further. The judiciary for quite some time has been under the spotlight and the political upheavals have tested its independence. There are dozens of public interest litigations that have failed to see the light of the day, including those on the 2024 general elections, the civil-military tangle and the bulldozed legislations. It is incumbent upon the august courts to take a stance under the dictates of the Constitution and deliver justice, unmindful of their socio-political ramifications.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SJC reviews 24 judicial complaints, dismisses 19
Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee Justice Yahya Afridi chairing the meeting of NJPMC at Supreme Court of Pakistan today on Friday, July 11, 2025. Photo: Supreme Court Website Listen to article Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, examined 24 complaints filed under Article 209 of the Constitution.19 complaints were dismissed unanimously, while five were deferred for future consideration. The council convened in Islamabad on Saturday to discuss several agenda items, including proposed administrative reforms and judicial complaints, according to an official release. The council also approved the draft of the Supreme Judicial Council Secretariat Service Rules, 2025. However, further deliberation was recommended on proposed procedures for inquiries and amendments to the judicial Code of Conduct, which members said required legal and drafting review. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah joined the meeting via video link, while Justices Munib Akhtar, Aalia Neelum (Chief Justice of Lahore High Court), and Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar (Chief Justice of Sindh High Court) were in attendance. Earlier, the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) decided to protect judicial officers from external influence and asked the high courts to establish structured mechanisms for reporting and redressing such instances within a stipulated timeframe. A statutory body responsible for formulating and implementing judicial policy, the NJPMC held its 53rd meeting on Friday at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. According to a statement issued after the meeting, the NJPMC also took serious notice of enforced disappearances in the country. The committee unanimously resolved that the judiciary would not compromise on its constitutional duty to safeguard fundamental rights. In this regard, it formed a dedicated committee to formulate an institutional response, after taking into consideration concerns of the executive, to be communicated through the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP). The committee deliberated on key policy issues and adopted several significant measures to improve judicial performance, technology integration in judicial processes and citizen-centric justice delivery. To improve the commercial dispute resolution landscape, the NJPMC approved the establishment of Commercial Litigation Corridor, with specialised courts and benches.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Judiciary vows to counter 'external influence'
Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee Justice Yahya Afridi chairing the meeting of NJPMC at Supreme Court of Pakistan today on Friday, July 11, 2025. Photo: Supreme Court Website Listen to article The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) has decided to protect judicial officers from external influence and asked the high courts to establish structured mechanisms for reporting and redressing such instances within a stipulated timeframe. A statutory body responsible for formulating and implementing judicial policy, the NJPMC held its 53rd meeting on Friday at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi was attended by chief justices of all provincial high courts as well as the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The additional attorney general for Pakistan (AAGP) also attended the moot on special invitation. According to a statement issued after the meeting, the NJPMC also took serious notice of enforced disappearances in the country. The committee unanimously resolved that the judiciary would not compromise on its constitutional duty to safeguard fundamental rights. In this regard, it formed a dedicated committee to formulate an institutional response, after taking into consideration concerns of the executive, to be communicated through the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP). The committee deliberated on key policy issues and adopted several significant measures to improve judicial performance, technology integration in judicial processes and citizen-centric justice delivery. To improve the commercial dispute resolution landscape, the NJPMC approved the establishment of Commercial Litigation Corridor, with specialized courts and benches. In line with its commitment to expeditious justice, it endorsed the piloting of a Double-Docket Court Regime in select districts on need basis with optional participation. The framework for Model Criminal Trial Courts was also approved to address long-pending criminal cases through time-bound trials and optimized judicial resources. In a major step towards strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), the committee approved launch of a court-annexed mediation regime as a pilot project. This includes the establishment of district mediation facilities, family court mediation centers and standardized SOPs for operational purposes. To ensure consistency and excellence in the district judiciary, the NJPMC constituted a committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge, Justice (retd) Rehmat Hussain Jafferi. It will recommend key performance indicators aligned with international benchmarks, standardized recruitment and training mechanisms, address disparities in service conditions and propose a framework for the District Judiciary Policy Forum as well as overseas exposure opportunities for judges. The committee also includes Balochistan High Court (BHC) chief justice, registrars of the high courts and the Federal Judicial Academy director general. The committee also approved the development of a Professional Excellence Index for talent hunt of lawyers for induction in judiciary and asked the high courts to finalize their models within 30 days. The ethical and policy implications of using generative AI in judicial functions were discussed, and the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) was asked to finalize a comprehensive charter on ethical use of AI in this regard. The committee appreciated Punjab inspector general of police for his detailed presentation proposing various reform intervention on behalf of all the IGPs of the provinces and Islamabad. It also decided that the high courts shall issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for attendance of under trial prisoners and official witnesses through video link. It was also decided that the federal and provincial judicial academies shall conduct trainings for police officers including district police officers on request of the respective IGPs. On the request of the AAGP, the NJPMC decided that all constitutional petitions pertaining to tax and financial matters shall be heard and decided by high court division benches instead of single benches. The NJPMC appreciated the initiatives of the Lahore High Court regarding construction of female bar rooms, daycare center and health insurance for judges and their family members. It was decided that all the high courts will approach their respective provincial governments for similar facilities. It was also decided that the NJPMC Secretariat shall take up the proposal of consultation with the presiding office before transfer of ministerial staff of the administrative courts and tribunals with the federal government. "The NJPMC reaffirmed its commitment to a progressive, transparent and responsive judicial system, rooted in constitutional values and guided by the rule of law," it added.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tax, financial matters: CPs to be decided by HC Div benches: NJPMC
ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) decided that all constitutional petitions pertaining to tax and financial matters shall be heard and decided by division benches of the High Courts instead of a single bench. It also reaffirmed its commitment to a progressive, transparent and responsive judicial system, rooted in constitutional values and guided by the rule of law. The 53rd NJPMC meeting was held on Friday at the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. It was attended by the chief justices of all the High Courts, while additional attorney general for Pakistan attended on special invitation. Separate benches formed for early disposal of tax cases: CJP The committee deliberated on key policy issues and adopted several significant measures to improve judicial performance, technology integration in judicial processes and citizen-centric justice delivery. The NJPMC took serious notice of the enforced disappearances and unanimously, resolved that the judiciary would not compromise on its constitutional duty to safeguard fundamental rights. A dedicated committee was constituted to formulate an institutional response, after taking into consideration concerns of the Executive, to be communicated through the attorney general for Pakistan. The committee also decided to protect judicial officers from external influence and asked the High Courts to establish structured mechanisms for reporting and redressal of such instances within a stipulated timeframe. To improve the commercial dispute resolution landscape, the NJPMC approved the establishment of Commercial Litigation Corridor, with specialised courts and benches. In line with its commitment to expeditious justice, the committee endorsed the piloting of a Double-Docket Court Regime in select districts on need basis with optional participation. The framework for Model Criminal Trial Courts was also approved to address long-pending criminal cases through time-bound trials and optimised judicial resources. In a major step towards strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), the committee approved launch of a court-annexed mediation regime as a pilot project. This includes the establishment of district mediation facilities, family court mediation centres and standardised SOPs for operational purposes. To ensure consistency and excellence in the district judiciary, the NJPMC constituted a committee headed by former Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, former judge Supreme Court of Pakistan comprising chief justice, High Court of Balochistan, the registrars of High Courts and director general Federal Judicial Academy to recommend key performance indicators aligned with international benchmarks, standardised recruitment and training mechanisms, address disparities in service conditions and propose a framework for the District Judiciary Policy Forum as well as overseas exposure opportunities for judges. The committee also approved the development of a Professional Excellence Index for talent hunt of lawyers for induction in judiciary and asked the High Courts to finalise their models within 30 days. The ethical and policy implications of using generative AI in judicial functions were discussed, and the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) was asked to finalise a comprehensive charter on ethical use of AI in this regard. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Top judges' body forms panel to address missing persons issue
Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee Justice Yahya Afridi chairing the meeting of NJPMC at Supreme Court of Pakistan today on Friday, July 11, 2025. Photo: Supreme Court Website Listen to article The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) unanimously decided to address the issue of enforced disappearances, establishing a special committee to formulate an institutional response in collaboration with the executive. Chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the body convened its 53rd meeting to discuss key judicial reforms on Friday. The committee approved several initiatives aimed at enhancing the judicial system, including the establishment of a "Commercial Litigation Corridor" for faster resolution of business disputes and the introduction of "Model Criminal Trial Courts" for expediting criminal cases. Also Read: Islamabad court suspends YouTube ban on prominent journalists, critics It also endorsed the creation of a pilot system for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and initiatives to standardise judicial procedures across districts. A major focus was also placed on improving the inclusion of lawyers in the judicial process, including the development of a "Professional Excellence Index." The committee further discussed the ethical implications of using Generative AI in court operations and tasked the National Judicial Automation Committee to draft a comprehensive ethical framework. In terms of judicial infrastructure, the committee praised initiatives like the construction of women lawyers' bar rooms and daycare centers, along with health insurance for judges and their families. Moreover, the committee decided that tax and financial-related constitutional cases would be handled by division benches in the High Courts instead of single benches.
