Institute to improve criminal justice system planned

LAHORE
THE Punjab government has decided to establish Institute of Criminological and Judicial Sciences (ICJS) on the pattern of private-public partnership to improve criminal justice system in the province, The News has learnt.
Sources in Punjab Home Department confided that a committee headed by Provincial Home Minister Shuja Khanzada was constituted to furnish its recommendations for the establishment of the IC&JC. Special Adviser to CM Rana Maqbool Ahmed, administrative secretaries of Home and Prosecution Departments were its members. The committee sought suggestions from different segments of society besides various departments, including Home, Police, Prosecution and others. After reviewing the suggestions, the committee submitted a summary to the chief minister for his approval. The CM directed to chalk out a comprehensive plan for establishing the institution.
After having approval from the CM, the committee chalked out a comprehensive plan according to which the ICJS will work in private capacity; however, the government will provide official building and funds to establish the offices of ICJS.
It is pertinent to mention that Safer Communities Foundation (SCF) has given a presentation about establishing an independent institution for improving criminal justice system. It was suggested that ICJS should be established on modern lines to improve criminal justice system in the province. It was proposed that the institution would prepare long-term, short-term and diploma courses for officers, training courses and syllabus for criminal justice degree. Moreover, it was proposed that the institution would have the powers to prepare Standard Operation Procedure (SOPs) for registration of criminal justice practitioners, training courses of criminal justice, careers planning, promotions, accountability, transfer and postings. After the SCF presentation, the committee headed by Shuja Khanzada was constituted to finalise a comprehensive plan for establishing the independent institution to improve the criminal justice system.
It has been decided that the Board of Revenue will provide building in Lahore or Rawalpindi for the ICJS offices. It will work as advisory body to improve criminal justice system. Initially it will focus on four sectors, including education, training, research and capacity building of officers. Punjab police, Prosecution and Prisons Departments will provide suggestions to prepare training courses for the officers.
Moreover, incentives will be given to the officers who will impart training. It has been suggested that the ICJS syllabus should be included in the training courses of National School of Public Policy, National College of Public Policy and MPDD which are mandatory for officers’ promotion from BS-18 to BS-19, from BS-19 to BS-20 and from BS-20 to BS-21.